Darkest Angel
by restive nature
Summary: Complete! A crossover between AtS and Darkest Angel. A mysterious tragedy lands Max in LA 2003. With a new prophecy on her skin, she struggles to understand her new world.
1. Default Chapter

Disclaimer- I own neither the characters of Dark Angel or Angel the Series. They belong respectively to Cameron/ Eglee and Joss Whedon and Mutant Enemy. No profit is made by the following fiction and is intended for private enjoyment only.

Chapter One

His Loss

"Angel, wait!" Buffy yelled as she skirted a parked car and hurried after her former love. He was storming towards his latest acquisition, the offices of Wolfram and Hart. Not that his intentions were bad, but he needed to get away from her. He just couldn't listen to any explanation about why she had chosen Spike over him.

He cursed inwardly, calling himself all kinds of an idiot. A month ago, when Spike had appeared, naked and trembling in the Wolfram and Hart chamber, Angel noticed the change in him immediately. Spike was human. He was also scared and determined to run, hide. He'd been convinced that Buffy didn't love him. But Angel knew better. She'd told him herself that Spike was in her heart. But Angel had gambled on another of her determinations. She needed to find herself. And she thought that maybe someday… Angel winced as pain lanced through his undead heart. That someday would never appear.

He'd gambled and lost. He'd convinced Spike to let him contact Buffy. He'd arranged her to meet him in LA. But when she'd arrived and Spike stepped out of the shadows of the alley, Angel still felt a glimmer of hope. Buffy was thrilled that her friend and ally was alive, that his sacrifice had been rewarded. Angel was jealous naturally. But it was a part of his nature that he'd long ago learned to accept. 

That's when the vampires had attacked. The number's had risen in LA ever since the things undead had sensed the First Evil on the move. Those who didn't stay to serve it, and there were many, had run. And they gravitated to Los Angeles. They were still close to the Hellmouth and had plenty of victims for their unholy crimes. 

But seeing the Slayer and her two Vampiric lapdogs was too much to resist. Buffy and Spike had shut the Hellmouth down, and survived the process. It was too much of an insult to the evil undead to let slide. They converged, all fifteen of them, and Buffy and Angel naturally moved to protect the now human Spike. He'd surprised them all, including himself. The Powers That Be weren't done with him yet. By the end of the fight, they all knew. There was a new Slayer in town, as big, as bad as the Chosen One, Buffy Summers. And that Slayer was William the Bloody. 

The knowledge rushed over Angel's consciousness, but refused to seep into his pores. Buffy and Spike. Angel yanked hard on the entrance door to his newest offices, glad for the reinforced steel. He entered the cool building, still hearing the staccato click of Buffy's shoes right behind him. The personnel shrank from him as he stalked his way through the floors to reach his office. They could feel the waves, of pain, anguish, betrayal and desperation rolling off him. And no one was brave enough to be on the receiving end of any displacement of his anger. 

Angel had reached the sanctuary of his office, but before he could slam the door shut, Buffy's hand shot out and caught it. He pushed and she held the battle of power and will evenly matched. Angel finally gave up. Even after all this, he still loved the diminutive woman. As much as he wanted her to hurt as he did, he knew he would never do so deliberately. He stepped back and turned away from the accusing dark green eyes. Eyes that he always felt that he could drown in.

"Come to twist the knife a little more?" he taunted.

"Damn it Angel!" Buffy swore. She was really starting to become angry with her former lover. Before she could say more, there was a knock on the door and a young woman popped her head in.

"Mr. Angel," she began quietly, a little unsure of herself. "I need to-!"

"Not now," Angel interrupted tersely. The girl, Sarah, his secretary, bit her lip and opened the door a little wider. 

"But sir, we have-!"

"He said not now!" Buffy growled. She pushed the young woman out the door and shut it with a hard click. She pressed her head against the wood for a moment, trying to gather her strength and wits. She finally turned her gaze to the man who'd always been such a big part of her life. "Angel, I'm not here to hurt you."

"Could've fooled me," he snorted. She frowned at him, trying to be mature. But he was beyond behaving as a rational adult. It was an unexpected and disconcerting role reversal.

"Damn it all Angel!" she yelled. "I'm doing exactly what you told me to do. I'm living my life, growing up, and taking happiness where I can find it. You swore to me that you wanted my happiness and now that I find it, you want me to throw it all away?"

"What about my happiness?" he demanded, in a rage. "Did you ever think that in your rush to prove to Spike that you trusted him, that you took away my last chance?" He had stunned her, he knew that. And his wailing, anguished soul relished that truth.

"What do you mean?" she finally whispered.

"All these years Buffy," he sighed. He could feel tears threaten as the despair rushed over him. "I left because I couldn't give you the things you deserved. I wanted your life to be beautiful, not filled with darkness all the time. So I walked away. But every waking moment, my heart broke for you, bled for you. I existed and I survived for you. And little by little, I managed to pull myself together. But everything about you was bound up inside me. Then I found my shot at redemption. A way to atone for the sins of my past. It was a way back to you, to be the man you needed me to be. But instead, you pushed me away and gave it to Spike." Angel collapsed in his desk chair, one broad hand covering his eyes. He breathed slowly, chanting nonsensical words inwardly, anything to try and desperately not break down in front of her.

Buffy, completely stunned by his revelation, groped her way to a chair and thankfully sank into it. "The amulet?" she gasped, suddenly understanding why it had made it's way to Angel's possession.

"Yeah, the amulet," he parroted morosely. He sighed and pushed back from his desk to look at her intently.

"Why didn't you tell me?" she asked, her voice child-like.

"Because," he paused. He didn't know how much more he could take. "Because I didn't know that it was my one chance. I didn't know that you'd give it to Spike. I didn't know that it would become his redemption and not mine. I didn't know that you would take that away from me." Her anguished eyes grew larger and she finally retaliated. She shot out of the chair and planted her hands on the desk, her face inches from his.

"Don't you dare put this on me Angel," she hissed. "If you had told me about this prophecy in the first place, I would have moved Heaven itself to make it come true. But you didn't. Once again, wise old man Angel left me out of the loop. Didn't think I had the right to make a decision about my life! Well it ends here, pal! There is no one to blame but you. I did the best I could with the information I had. I did what I had to do!"

"Just like I did," Angel roared. The entire accusatory circle was running through his mind. He leaned back in his chair, away from the anger in the face he so loved. He knew that they could go on like this for days. But he was so tired of it. "You're right, Buffy. You're right and I'm wrong. Now will you please leave?" Buffy straightened up, a slightly puzzled look on her face. The way he'd broken form so quickly disoriented her. 

"Angel?" her voice was soft, hesitant. 

"Just forget it," he commanded irritably. "There's nothing left here." He glanced away, tears of self-pity threatening again. 

"Oh God, Angel don't talk that way!" Buffy gasped, her hand reaching out to him, but he flinched away. "Of course there's something here for you."

"Like what?"

"W-well," she stammered. "What about your son, Connor?" She felt better, hitting upon that. Although the boy's existence was a shock to her, she knew Angel well enough that he'd never do anything to hurt or endanger the teen.

"I gave him up," came the unexpected answer.

"You what?"

"He was in so much pain," Angel explained softly, his insides twisting. "There was so much he didn't understand. So I made a deal to find him a normal family. They're all he remembers now."

Buffy felt a tear slip from the corner of her eye. Her Angel had given up so much out of the goodness of the heart he no longer possessed. It made her so mad sometimes. "Why?" she demanded. He stared at her blankly. "Why do you always give up? You let me go. You let Connor go. What the hell is the matter with you?"

"You wanna know why!" he yelled, jumping to his feet. "Because I love you. Both of you. I love you unselfishly. I let you go and give you up so that you can have the best in your lives. It tears me up every moment of my life, but I do it for love of you and my son." He was so angry he was panting. "But why the hell should that matter? I'm just a vampire, just a monster who-!" His tirade was stopped short by a slap across the face. The force of Buffy's blow snapped his head back and when she slowly looked at her again, her chest was heaving, tears flowing from her eyes. 

"You are not a monster," she hissed, her hands flexing instinctively into fists. They stared at one another, but before either could say a word, the office door slammed open. Gunn, Angel's friend and employee stood there, a strange expression on his face. 

"What?" Angel demanded tersely. Gunn glanced at the petite blonde Slayer and his look changed to understanding.

"I was just wondering why you're still up here?" he chuckled, now understanding why everyone on the twelfth floor looked as if they were in line to be beheaded.

"Probably because this is my office," Angel sighed. "Where else would I be?" Gunn straightened and glanced behind himself. 

"Sarah didn't tell you then?"

"No she didn't. Tell me what?"

"A girl showed up in the chamber, about noon," Gunn grinned. He'd been the first one to greet her, nudity and all. Of course, that lasted all of two seconds until she'd handed his ass to him. Then he'd gotten the hell out of there. 

"The chamber?" suddenly, Angel was all business.

"What's going on?" Buffy demanded. She glanced back and forth between the two men. "Angel?" But the set of his determined jaw just told her that she'd get no answer from him.

"The chamber, where Spike reappeared," Gunn informed her.

Buffy took this in. "So why is she there?" Angel moved from behind the desk reluctantly. 

"Probably another ensouled vampire turned Slayer," he mocked harshly. "I better go see her."

"I'm going too," Buffy exclaimed, following closely. Angel spun around.

"I don't think so," he growled. "Isn't one pet enough?"

"Angel," her tone was full of warning. The silence was heavy.

"Fine," he finally said, knowing that she and her friends had taken it upon themselves to find and guide all the new Slayers in the world. It had become another part of her sacred duty. "Explain what she is and get her out of here." The trio moved to the elevator and once they climbed in and the doors shut, there was a relieved hum over the office as everyone let out their pent up breaths.


	2. Her Cage

Chapter Two

Her Cage

Max stared around at her current imprisonment. The room was large, white, had columns every so often to support the arching ceiling. The door, four achingly long feet from her, could not be opened from the inside. She'd spent the better part of an hour trying after the first man to visit her had run through it.

She smiled softly at the memory of the ass kicking she'd given him. Of course, the guy had been too enamored with looking at her naked form to fight. But it felt good to relieve some of the tension and stress she was feeling. She'd spent too many years caged up like an animal. She was damned if she'd spend one more minute than absolutely necessary doing so again.

After the black guy had run from the room, she'd tried opening the door. When that hadn't worked, she'd resorted to trying other forms of force. Getting nowhere, she'd finally quit. A few minutes after that, a voice had told her to move away from the door. Curious, she'd complied. When she was far enough back, the door opened and a tray of food and water was slipped in. A bag landed just passed the tray and the door slammed shut. 

Max had suspiciously inspected the contents of the bag first. Inside was simply a gray tee shirt and black sweatpants. No underwear and nothing else. With relief, Max pulled them on, one of her problems solved. She'd given the tray of food a look of disgust. There was no way for her to know if it was tainted or not, so she wouldn't take the risk. 

After an hour or so, she'd gotten restless and was creeping around the room. She searched for clues, trying to determine where she was. A noise alerted her and she whirled around. The tray slid out the door and slammed shut. Many things registered in Max's mind in those few seconds. She knew, as fast as she was she'd never make it twenty feet in so short a time, so it was pointless to try. Whoever locked her up obviously had cameras trained on her. And most importantly, if she was in enemy hands, aside from Manticore's of course, it was better not to reveal her special skills. So with a resigned sigh, she took up the post by the door, every instinct ready to fight for her freedom. 

As she sat, she allowed herself to think back over the events that had led her here. The last thing she honestly remembered was the blinding white light that had seared through her being. Before that, pain. She waited and let the sensations pour through her. After she and her family had defeated the threat from the Phalanx in the battle at the Jam Pony offices, she and her would-be lover, Logan Cale had dived headlong into the prophecy that had been implanted in her before she was ever born. 

She did remember searching for Sandman, her father of sorts. But the closer she got to him, the more dangerous things had become. Finally, she had found him, but it was too late. He was too close to death to do more than express his love for her. A love she neither craved nor accepted. He'd died; his last breath rattling from his chest as Max dispassionately cradled his head in her lap. "In case…" and then he was gone. 

But that was all Max could recall. She had the instinct that it was horrible, both physically and mentally. It reminded her of when she was young and had just escaped from Manticore with eleven of her siblings. Self-preservation kept her moving kept her safe. But understanding hadn't come immediately. It was a slow and uncertain process. Max hoped that this time would be swift and painless. A foolish hope she knew, but there just the same. 

Finally, after hours of reflection, the voice came again. "Move away from the door!" it commanded. Max stayed put, all her senses ready. There was a short wait. "Move away from the door now!" Max glanced up into the room above her, searching out the cameras she knew were there.

"Screw you," she said sweetly and evenly. There was a short chuckle in response that was cut off abruptly. Max remained at ease, but at any moment, she would spring. 

The door creaked open and Max was a blur. She flew at the approaching duo. A man and a woman. He was tall, she petite. He dark and somber, she light and cheer. She catalogued all this as she attacked. She'd centered on the fact that the man had a dagger in his inside coat pocket. She'd seen the outline of it immediately. Max grabbed his outstretched hand and whirled him around, smashing his face into the wall as her free hand relieved him of the dagger. While he was dazed, she turned to the woman. To give her credit, the petite blonde had dropped into a fighting stance. Max launched herself into the air before the woman could react, executing the flip higher than the woman could reach and landed behind her lightly before she could fully turn around. 

Angel felt his nose crack as it met the unyielding wall. He bit off a curse as he backed up and turned around. The girl had Buffy. Her right arm was holding Buffy across the chest, her taller form giving her a slight advantage. The look in Buffy's eyes scared Angel more than anything else could. She was scared. She was downright scared of another Slayer. Not since Faith had she been like this.

Max could feel the subtle fear emanating off the pair. She had her arm across the woman's chest; her hand tucked above the breast and into the armpit in a secure hold. Her other hand was holding the knife across her throat. All of them knew a swift slash and she'd be holding a corpse. In the first moment of capture, the blonde woman had tried to leverage Max over her shoulder. But Max had been expecting that and had drastically lowered her center of gravity, making it impossible. The woman held her wrist at her throat, and she was strong, but she couldn't budge Max.

Angel wondered how the hell the girl had come into her power so quickly. A few vague theories were forming in his mind, but he brushed them away in an effort to deal with this new threat. He deliberated a few options. Overpowering her was not an option. She was holding a knife, his dagger to Buffy's throat. And if the Slayer couldn't overpower her, then he didn't stand much more of a chance. So he went with the gentle, non-threatening route. 

"We're not here to hurt you," he informed her in a low gentle voice. There was no response but the arch of a delicate dark eyebrow. Angel took a moment to study this unknown factor. She was beautiful, even if he couldn't quite place her physical heritage. She had long straight, almost black hair that shimmered the same way her eyes did as the light played over her. Her face was small and cat-like. In fact, that's exactly what he equated her with. A lithe, graceful, dangerous black panther. 

"What's your name?" he tried again, while trying to silently reassure Buffy.

"Why?" Max demanded archly. "You gonna put me on your Christmas card list?" She'd said it before, in another time, her other life. But it was usually good to throw off her opponent. And judging by the surprised chuckle the man let slip, it worked.

"Look, I don't want anybody to get hurt, so just let Buffy go and we'll talk this out."

"How about you let me go and I don't kill her," Max offered easily. Her demeanor sent chills up both Buffy and Angel's spines. They couldn't tell for sure if she would carry out her threat. Angel glanced up at the ceiling, to the cameras he couldn't see, but knew were there.

"Open the door," he commanded. He was obeyed immediately. She arched her brow again and cocked her head to the door. He understood immediately and backed through the open door. His hands were where she could see them. He watched her as she and Buffy moved slowly to follow him. But as he moved back into the office, he heard the natural, automatic response of the Wolfram and Hart employees. At least fifty weapons were cocked, primed and ready to fire. "Don't shoot!" his voice was slightly higher pitched, a reaction to his fear. 

Max and Buffy emerged from the chamber and the taller woman took in everything with one sweeping glance. But she betrayed nothing. ""All this for little old me?" she teased. Angel noted that Gunn had his weapon trained on the woman's head. But from what he'd seen so far, the woman was too good, too relaxed amidst the danger. 

"Put the weapons down now!" Angel thundered. After a moment's hesitation, the group released their weapons, setting them on desks, or reholstering them. Angel made sure that there were no more threats and then faced the two women. They were so different physically, yet he could almost see the same soul. "Now, let her go."

"Be happy to," Max quipped. In the blink of an eye, she'd removed the knife and had shoved Buffy forward. She was already halfway to the windows when Angel caught the love of his undead life. He whipped his head around, catching the woman's intentions.

"Don't!" he yelled desperately running after her. He didn't even notice Buffy stumble to one knee at his abrupt departure. "We're on the fifth floor!" But she either didn't listen or didn't care. One jump up to a desk and the dark haired enigma launched herself through the air. She crashed through the nacred glass, causing it to spray outwards.

Angel reached the window, thanking The Powers that sunlight wasn't streaming in on him now. He looked down, his stomach lurching in preparation for the expected gore. But all his enhanced vampiric vision caught was that lovely, impish face smirking up at him from the sidewalk. She was completely unharmed. He watched in disbelief as she ran up the street, heading north.

"Damn,' he muttered under his breath. Despite himself, he was impressed, extremely so.


	3. Pursuit

Chapter Three

Pursuit

Max ran down the street, her only plan at the moment to get away from the cage she'd been in. She criss-crossed through a few streets, hoping to throw off any pursuers from her track. A plan began to form in her mind, fueled by the will to survive. She needed to find out where she was, who had held her captive and why. But first she needed money. She glanced down at herself, taking in the shirt and sweats. She didn't even have shoes on her feet. She glanced around, wondering about the city. It definitely wasn't Seattle, where she'd lived last. She'd been all over that burned out city in her job as a bicycle messenger.

There was nothing familiar to her here. In fact, she looked like she was in a fairly safe, well to do area. Her instinct kicked in as she heard someone moving towards her on the quiet street. She took in the man, slightly taller than she, with blonde hair and angled good looks. He was dressed all in black, right from his duster to his combat boots. Max's photographic memory assured her that he was not one of the people who'd been present at her captivity. He stopped short of her by a few feet and took in her harried appearance. 

"You okay there, pet?" he asked lightly in a low, British drawl. Max grinned inwardly; maybe she'd found a good guy. Of course, that meant it'd be a little tougher for her to rob him. She had no compunction about thievery, but she hated repaying kindness that way.

"Yeah," she smiled slightly, reeling the guy in. "My boyfriend was getting a little rough, so I had to bail in a hurry," she improvised. She allowed a shocked little laugh to escape. "Ex-boyfriend, I guess I should say." The man returned her smile and extended his hand.

"Name's Spike," he offered. She glanced at his hand and then back at his face. He knew right then that more had happened than she let on. "I don't bite," he joked, "at least not anymore." The woman grinned, her entire face lighting up. She shook his hand, keeping her grip light and easy, as his was.

"I'm 'Eva'," she told him, elaborating no further. 

"Well 'Eva'," he sighed, hoping he wouldn't scare her. "It looks like you're in a spot of trouble. Do you live nearby?"

"Um, no," she admitted, wondering what lame pick-up he'd offer her. "Across town," she improvised again. To her relief, he nodded. But as his hand reached to his back pocket, she tensed, prepared to knock him out.

Spike noticed this and deliberately kept his movements slow and purposeful. He drew his wallet forth and thumbed through the contents. He pulled a fifty out and then shut the wallet and returned it to his pocket. "This should be enough for a cab," he drawled. Her features tightened and he knew what she was thinking. "Don't worry about thanking me," he chuckled. "Just pass on the good deed when you get a chance, okay?" Her eyes widened and a graceful eyebrow arched inquisitively.

"Seriously?" Max drawled, unused to this type of behavior from a male. A male aside from Logan, that was.

"Yep," Spike smiled broadly. "Love makes you do strange things." He glanced up the street, in time to see his lover and former Sire hurrying towards them. "In fact, her comes the light o' my life right-!" He'd glanced back to the dark haired girl, but she was gone.

In the few moments it took for Angel to assure himself that the girl hadn't been hurt, Buffy had picked herself up off the floor. She and Gunn hurried to the smashed window as well. They glanced out, more shocked to find nothing there. They exchanged mystified glances.

"Who the hell is she?" Gunn mused. They were all quiet a moment, all wondering that, until Buffy shook herself. 

"Whoever she is, we need to get to her, before someone, or something else does," she announced grimly. Angel nodded his agreement and the duo sped off to recover the girl, if they could. Once outside, Angel moved to where the girl had landed, trying to pick up her scent. Buffy noticed and grimaced at him.

"Still gross, you know," she teased. Angel flashed her a grin as he picked up the trail.

"But useful," he countered. They followed the girl's zigzag pattern, discussing the strange encounter. 

"She's strong Angel," Buffy informed him unnecessarily. "When she had me, I couldn't move her. And her fighting style! From what little we saw, she knows a lot."

"Maybe she started training early," he suggested. 

"Maybe," she shrugged. "I dunno."

They finally came to the last street. And both caught sight of the girl talking to, of all people, Spike. Angel and Buffy turned to share a look of exasperated irony. But when they turned back, the girl was gone. She'd disappeared completely. 

"Damn it," Angel muttered. "She's a little too good at the disappearing act." They began to jog towards the male Slayer. 

"Jealous?" Buffy joked, but Angel could hear the underlying accusation in her tone. He didn't reply, as there was too much in that one word to respond to. He kept moving towards Spike, his mind a helpless jumble of the Slayers, the girl, his stolen prophecy, Connor. It just never seemed to stop. They finally reached the confused Brit. He didn't greet them at all, but was muttering under his breath as he angrily counted the cash in his wallet. 

"Strangest damn thing," he hissed. The money was all there but the fifty he'd given to Max, reassuring him that it hadn't been an illusion. He glanced up at the approaching duo. "Did you see her?"

"Yeah, we saw her?" Buffy confirmed. Spike was surprised that they seemed to understand his predicament immediately. Angel looked around, sniffing as inconspicuously as possible. 

"Did you see which way she went?" Spike demanded. "'Cause I turned away for one bloody second and she was gone." Buffy shook her head and turned to Angel. He'd retreated into the mouth of the alley, about seven feet away. Just enough for the shadows to begin to swallow him up. He turned a complete circle, then snarled his frustrations. 

"She's gone," he muttered. They all knew what he meant. Her trail had gone cold. He returned to the others. "Where could she have gone?"

"You know, I'm really starting to re-think the Slayer assumption," Buffy sighed. "Really thinking possible demon here."

"You mean 'Eva'?" Spike was only slightly confused. 

"If that was even her real name," Angel scoffed.

"She weren't no Slayer," Spike denied, shaking his bleached blonde head. Buffy caught his eye. 

"You didn't feel it either?" she nodded, as if confirming something she herself believed. 

"What do you mean?" Angel asked. This confusion that 'Eva' had created was giving him a headache. 

"Ever since Willow released the power of the Scythe, I've been able to sense other Slayers moving about," the petite blonde explained. "Depending on how strong the individual Slayer is, she can-!"

"Or he," Spike interrupted playfully. He already knew where she was going, as he had the same powers she did.

"Or he," Buffy added, rolling her eyes. "We can sense each other. Some girls can't yet. But Spike and I didn't get that sense about her."

"Shoot," Angel felt chagrin rise. "I just assumed because of the way she showed up."

"Showed up where?"

Buffy and Angel explained what had occurred when Gunn had approached them. Spike was extremely concerned when they revealed that 'Eva' had held Buffy at dagger point. There was a pause in the narration as he checked for himself that no harm had come to her. Angel had almost had to step back from them so that he wouldn't tear Spike's arm out and shove them… He had to cut himself off, lest he get too bloodthirsty and actually follow through. The jealousy and pain was gnawing at him. But neither Slayer seemed to notice as Buffy finished telling the story. 

Spike's whistle of appreciation brought Angel back to the conversation. "How did she end up with you?"

"Well, if you must know," Spike drawled angrily, "the little bint told me that her boyfriend was roughin' her up." Spike was really starting to lose patience with his Sire's high-handedness. But one quick shake of Buffy's head and he backed off. Only for love of Buffy would he do that. He sighed and related what he knew of 'Eva', which was very little. "And to top it all off, I gave the chit a fifty for a cab ride home."

"Oh sweetie," Buffy chuckled. "I think you got rooked." Spike growled, deep in his throat.

"Hmm. Not necessarily," Angel spoke thoughtfully. "Gunn said that she refused the food and water. We know she's not a vampire. I actually doubt that she's a demon, because you'd have sensed that too. So, she's had no food or water for at least nine hours, possibly more. All she had were the clothes on her back and my knife. And now some money. I hope she can make it last until we find her."

"And how exactly are we going to do that?" Buffy snapped.

"Maybe Red can help?" Spike suggested. "Do her little witchy locator spell?"

"No," Buffy disagreed. "Willow needs a personal possession for that I think. Plus she and Kennedy are out of town." Everyone knew that after all the serious magic mojo; Willow had needed a break. So her girlfriend Kennedy, had whisked her away on a vacation. So the trio continued to discuss their options. They never once realized that the target of their search heard it all. 

So many times, high above them, Max was forced to stifle a giggle. After hearing the conversation, she was almost forced to conclude that she was dreaming. Really, vampires, Slayers, demons, witches? The only problem that she had with it was that she'd never been that imaginative. She watched as the trio walked away. They were probably heading back to the office of Wolfram and Hart. The unfamiliar name was on a plaque that she'd passed by. One last thought passed through her mind that caused a soft, throaty chuckle to erupt. It didn't matter where she went. People always refused to look up. But in her merriment, she never noticed the dark vampire turn to look back at the noise, a wistful look upon his face.


	4. Connections

Chapter Four

Connections

Angel sighed as he dropped the pencil he'd been using to sketch his latest work. He rubbed a finger over each tired eye. It had been two weeks since Eva had blown into their lives. And just a short time later, blown on by. They'd finally figured out a plan of action. The trio had returned to Wolfram and Hart to talk to various people. They had magic users casting locator spells. But as Buffy had known, it was impossible without a personal item to originate on. One of the computer users had made printouts of pictures from the security tape of the chamber. They were passed out among the employees and Angel's own people at his investigation firm, named for him.

So they had people on the street, looking for her. They'd had a few sightings that never led anywhere. It seemed Eva was a savvy young lady, who knew how to keep a low profile. Angel was sure that she had to have found a job somewhere, but he had no idea what that could be. Spike and Buffy had eventually had to leave both having their sacred duty and new life together to pick up. The day Buffy left, Angel was in a serious brood over it. On the one hand, she was finally moving on. Living the dream life that he'd wished for her. But on the other hand, it was with Spike. And as much as everyone insisted that Spike had changed, Angel couldn't see it. But in the darkest part of the night, with only shadows and silence for friends, Angel admitted to himself that he wouldn't see it. He needed some fragment to hold on to. He needed it as his vampire body craved blood. He would be dust without it.

After three days of brooding, he remembered his knife. Angel shuddered and refused to dwell on why he recalled it. With an idea in his mind and a mission to hold his sanity, he'd hurried to talk to the small coven he was in contact with. To his relief, they told him that his idea had merit. Instead of tracking the person, they concentrated on the item. They found it swiftly and monitored the dagger for over an hour. It wasn't moving. While they monitored, another group pinpointed the exact physical location. Angel had raced off, address in hand. To his supreme disappointment, he ended up at an all night pawnshop. He'd entered cautiously, but there was only one wizened old man, perched on a stool behind the counter, snoring softly until the bell chime on the door woke him.

He'd greeted Angel, asked if there was anything specific he was interested in. Angel began to describe the dagger, pleased to see that the old man knew exactly what he'd been referring to. He'd unlocked his glass display case where the other swords and daggers were hung. He'd returned to Angel, cradling the knife, babbling about the exquisite craftsmanship and perfection of the gemstones. He'd presented it to his customer and Angel knew it was his. The man had continued to talk, but fell silent as the price tag swirled around, reminding the old man of something. 

He'd shuffled a few feet away and pulled a slim book out from beside the register. He'd thumbed through the pages until he'd found what he'd wanted. He'd returned with the book and laid it before Angel, explaining as he did. The young woman who'd sold it to him had his assurances. He wouldn't sell the dagger before a month was up. It could only be claimed by her, or by a member of the Wolfram and Hart law office. If no one claimed it within a month, he was free to sell it. Angel had asked to see the entry. He was pleased to see that she'd gotten three hundred dollars for it, even though it was worth much more. It was a pawnshop after all. But with a stab of regret saw that she'd signed the agreement as Penny Smith. It was one of three things. She'd lied to Spike, lied to the old man, or lied to both. Angel figured on the last. But still, it was another alias to try.

Thanking the old man, he'd slipped out one of the business cards that had been made up for him as owner of the law office. With a small gratuity, he'd explained that the office needed to get hold of Miss Smith, but she hadn't contacted them. He'd promised to leave the dagger for now and return at the end of the grace period for it. The canny old man had promised that if Penny came in, he'd be sure to call Angel. So Angel had returned to his solitary office at the Hyperion hotel. That's when he'd begun to draw her. All the different moods he'd seen on her face. Teasing, serious, smug…dangerous. He'd learned her well through those drawings. 

The following days weren't all bad. The next morning, the hospital had called to inform Angel that Cordelia had come out of her coma. He'd been elated to hear that. The only drawback was that she was hazy and couldn't recall the few years prior to the coma. She did however, remember coming to Los Angeles to find an acting career and working for Angel. He'd gone to see her that evening, a bright spot for him. She was aware intellectually that time had passed, but it was easier for her to pick up emotionally where she'd believed that they left off, as friends and co-workers. So Angel let her. The doctors were doubtful that she'd ever regain the memories of those years. And Angel knew better than to push. He didn't know how she'd react to some of the things she'd said and done. And he of all people knew that guilt was the worst punisher of all.

And then the day after she woke up, the hospital decided to release her. She was in control of all her motor skills and while she'd been in the coma, Angel had faithfully paid the rent on her apartment. With a home, a job and friends to support her, they saw no cause to keep her any longer. But the afternoon Cordelia was released she was mugged, in broad daylight. 

Once she'd reached her apartment, she'd called Angel to tell him about it. He'd listened, absentminded as she described the encounter. How some punk had jumped her and grabbed her purse. But Max had saved her, beat up the punk and then returned her stolen property. Cordelia just wanted to update him. Then she'd laughed and told Angel that she had to go get ready, as she and Max were going out clubbing. Angel expressed his relief and hung up the phone. He went back to another drawing of Eva.

The day after her mugging, Cordelia had breezed into the office to drop off some files she'd found in her apartment. They were just copies, but she'd felt they'd be better off at the office, where filing cabinets actually resided. She'd dumped them on Angel's desk, never noticing the sketches they landed on. He was amused to hear her rave about her evening out. But his overprotective male instincts went into overdrive when she informed him that she'd asked Max to move in with her. She'd told Angel that she felt much safer that way.

She'd reminded him that he'd promised her a little time to re-acclimate to life among the non-hospitalized bedridden and breezed out. Angel had immediately set Gunn to checking out Cordy's new boyfriend, Max Gueverra. It wasn't long before the preliminary report was back. Max was twenty-one, worked for a bike messenger company for the past six months and had held a similar position for two years in Seattle. Birth records would take a little more time. 

But in fact, they never came. Angel's instinct was right. Something was off about Max. But when he'd tried to tell Cordy, she blew him off. Apparently Max had already had an explanation that Cordy ate up like a cat in the cream. So Angel continued to wait for Max to screw up, hoping that Cordy wouldn't get caught in the middle. And when he wasn't worrying, he was brooding over Eva/Penny. Who the hell was she?

Max sighed and paused for a moment in the hallway to rub some tension out of her neck. She leaned her bike in the hallway as she fumbled for the key her new roommate had given her. But before she could unlock the door, it swung open. She glanced inside, but couldn't see Cordelia Chase anywhere. She pulled the bike inside and wheeled it over to its customary space. "Thanks Dennis," she murmured as the door clicked shut behind her. She'd really thought Cordy was nuts when she'd told her new friend about her resident ghost. But after some occurrences that had no physical or scientific explanations that she could find, she'd just accepted it. It was another freaky thing in her even freakier life.

It hadn't taken Max long to figure out that she was in Los Angeles. What rocked her to the core was that it seemed to be late 2003. Technically, she was only four years old; if she even existed, that was. In her old life, things were different, due to an electro-magnetic pulse being set off in '09. But now, she was seeing America in its glory days. And funny enough, it wasn't really that different. People still starving in the streets, cops harassing whomever they could just because they could. And rich folks looking so far down their noses, as if common folk were cockroaches to be stomped on. Preferably by the maid.

But that wasn't the strangest thing. Those things the trio had been taking about were real. At least Vampires were. She'd run into one not long after landing. Luckily, she thought on her feet quickly. She'd broken an old crate in the alleyway, took a chance and the thing was dust in a matter of seconds. After that incident, Max had adjusted fairly quickly. But she had a lot of questions, hazy memories and no one to turn to. Of course, she liked to think that she didn't need anyone and in most cases that was true. But right now, she was flying blind; with next to no resources, no contacts and no clues as to why she'd crossed time and dimension. So for now she was stuck. And if she didn't have this sneaking suspicion that there was little to go back to, she'd be out of her mind. But training kicked in. Keep moving, keep surviving, and never admit defeat. 

That first night in LA, she'd used money from the blonde Brit to buy shoes, some food and a paper. Only her innate sense of keeping a lid on her emotions had kept her from spraying her comparatively cheap coffee over other unsuspecting customers. She'd had to make some hard decisions then. The prime one was being to accept the reality of the situation, for the time being. Next on her list was a safe place to hide. She didn't know exactly what she'd landed in. And she didn't know how long those agency people would search for her. It always seemed that no matter where she went, someone was after her. It frustrated her that normal could never be part of her life. 

She'd also need a job. But first, identification. In a city like LA, it would be easy, but expensive. Her first course of action was to pawn the dagger. As much as she liked it, Max knew that she could be easily identified with it in her possession. And it was very conspicuous, tucked into her sweats. So she found a likely pawnshop. The owner took a liking to her. Max occasionally liked to play fair, so she gave the tall, dark and dangerous sexy guy a chance to get his property back. She told herself that she definitely would not see it again. In all likelihood, the sexy guy would get people stationed to watch the shop for her return and maybe put a tap on the phone line. So she'd disappeared into the night three hundred dollars richer.

Her next move was to find somewhere to camp out She couldn't risk hotels, motels or hostels. So she'd found an abandoned warehouse. In the morning, she combed through the paper and found an ad selling, among other tings, discount mountain bikes. She'd hightailed it to the store and managed to get a good, sturdy model and necessary additions for a little over three hundred. She knew though that she'd need more money, so she made her way to another sporting goods store to pick up ostensibly, some mountain climbing gear. 

After spending the night staking out an affluent neighborhood, Max was ready to make her move. She slipped into house after house, taking cash only. Sometimes even when the housewives were home, going about their daily chores. It was child's play for her. By suppertime, she'd amassed over five thousand dollars.

Then she'd set to looking for a good fence dealing in identity. She found one after hours in crappy, seedy bars, mostly filled with illegal aliens, just wanting a quick new life. She managed to strike a deal. But she was no dummy. When the fence passed over some documentation, she was savvy enough to realize that it was most likely picked off some poor dead Mexican girl. Poor kid's parents were probably still looking for her, hoping against hope. So Max had refused. She certainly didn't need to be implicated in murder. Instead, she'd borrowed the fence's laptop and using the skills Manticore and Logan had taught her hacked into the government database. It was almost a simple matter for Max to add a new Social Security number and add a little information here and there. Granted it would take longer for a complete history, but a few years were good at the time. Se showed the fence and the impressed idiot rapidly agreed. She'd had her picture taken and once developed; she easily destroyed the negatives and the copies that the photographer kept. Max decided not to delve too deeply into the reason why the pervert might want to keep them.

It had only taken an hour until the documentation was ready. And in that time, Max received over eight beers, numerous job offers, some legit, others downright perverted and many propositions. One's that boiled down to "hey baby, I'm the greatest thing since sliced bread, do you wanna…?" Max varied her reactions, according to the persistence of the pursuers. Some received gentle letdowns, teasing jokes, or the worst case, a blinding headache resultant of broken noses. 

Max took off on her bike and finally found another place to hide. She figured she'd get a job and maybe see if she could find a roommate. It was easier to cut and run if her name wasn't on the lease agreement. So she'd bought and scoured another paper and to her honed sense of whimsy, answered an ad for a position as a bike messenger. On the way over, she bought a map and memorized the area around the bike center and the closest business and residential areas. It was enough to get her the job. The fact that she had her own bike didn't hurt any either. Her new boss didn't seem to care about references or experience. Was she quick? Was she polite? Could she handle with care? That was all he cared about. So, he'd shook her hand, told her to call him Roy and to get her cute little ass to work.

Max happily obeyed. Part one of the plan was working out fine. And it only got better. Her first stop was a hospital. A mother had forgotten her son's antihistamine and could not return to pick it up. So the nurse called their contracted service, LA Bike Messenger Service. Hardly a flashy name, but serviceable. And just as Max had arrived, she saw a woman being mugged.

It wasn't that difficult to disarm the guy. He was strictly grab and run. So Max tripped him, pummeled his shocked face and returned the bag to the pale woman. They introduced themselves. Cordelia Chase and Max Gueverra. Cordy, as she liked to be called, invited Max to go clubbing with her. As a way to say thank you, but not as a lesbian date, thank you very much. Max liked her from the start. She agreed and they arranged to meet at a nearby club.

So Max finished her first day of work in a good mood. After having Roy beam at her, as the hospital had called and commended him on his newest employee's act of civic duty, she felt a little more secure. Roy gave her directions to his wife's favorite boutique and Max got ready to party.

That night, between drinks, dances with hot guys and a lot of girl talk the two women managed to swap stories. Max knew that Cordy was from a small California town. She was looking to make it on the big screen. She worked part time for the best detective agency, Angel Investigations. Unfortunately, she'd just waken up from a coma. And Cordy knew that Max was from Seattle, which she'd left after a major falling out with her parents over her boyfriend. They'd run away to LA, but with Max being of legal age, there wasn't anything they could do about it. And creep-o boyfriend started looking for the highlife the minute they'd hit town. She found him screwing a hooker in their bed. After a screaming match, Max had gone out to clear her head. When she'd returned a few hours later, he'd cleaned out all her possessions, but for some clothes and the money she'd had on her.

The evening ended on a pleasant note with Cordy inviting Max to move in with her. Max accepted and a fast friendship was formed. Luckily, Dennis the ghost took an immediate shine to Max, which somehow cemented Cordy's opinion of her. The days passed pleasantly as they got used to each other. Cordy returned to work and Max kept on as a messenger. When time allowed, they went clubbing together. Finally, Max had some time this afternoon, an early day and after changing and bidding Dennis farewell, she was soon riding over to Cordy's place of employment so that she could meet her roommate's friends. 

Max pulled up to the elegant Hyperion Hotel. It definitely needed some work, but Max could see the regal bearing of the building. She wheeled in her bike and leaned it against Cordy's desk. Cordy was almost beside herself and called for everyone to come meet Max. Shy Winifred, or Fred, as everyone called her, greeted her with a puzzled smile. It was quickly understood that Cordy had never made it clear the distinction that Max was female. 

The British one, Wesley, welcomed her politely, if stiffly. It was a common mannerism of his people. He then explained that Gunn was out. Cordy looked around; realizing that Angel was ignoring them. She flipped on the intercom switch and issued her commandment that Angel was to come out and meet Max now. Max heard a resigned sigh, then some movement from the inner office. The door opened and the tall, dark, broody sex god stepped out. He focused on Max, his eyes going wide.

"You!" they hissed in the same moment.


	5. It Ain't No Freaky Thing

Chapter Five

It Ain't No Freaky Thing

The two stared at each other as the rest of the group gaped at them. Even though Angel's normally placid face seemed angry, he was in fact relieved to see the girl. She'd caused many sleepless moments. A conundrum he savored, treasured, puzzled over. In a way, he was almost disappointed to see her. She was the last thing he'd been hanging onto when his world slowly crumbled away. The fact that she was both the girl from the chamber and Max, the elusive roommate of Cordelia was not lost on Angel.

"So you're Max?" he drawled, finally recovering his senses a little. "Or was that Eva? Penny perhaps?" He named her aliases. 

"It's Max," she confirmed softly. Max was able to roll with the punches better than most. But the reappearance of this man in her life shook her more than a little. If she was honest with herself, it was more the urge to fly into his protective embrace and stay there that unnerved her. They continued to stare at one another, the others in the room slowly becoming aware of the sexual current that flowed between the two.

Cordelia stepped between the two, a great big grin on her face. "Max, this is Angel, my boss.' They both shot her withering glares, which couldn't have pleased her more. Since her return, she'd been carefully informed of the demise of her hometown, which she'd barely mourned. That was followed by the story of Spike's sacrifice and subsequent resurrection as a male Slayer. And then, the worst news. Spike and Buffy deciding to be together. Now, Cordelia was in no way dumb. Spoiled, shallow and tactless she could be. But she was also loyal and honest to those she cared about. She put everything together easily and all too often saw the result. The return of Broody Angel. So anything that could shake him out of that slump and into something else was in her opinion, of the good. Suddenly Cordelia whirled on her boss. 

"Hey, why didn't you tell me that you were looking for Max? And why are you?" she demanded huffily.

"She showed up in the chamber, just like Spike did," he explained gently. He watched Max's reaction, just waiting for her to lose it. But he was pleasantly surprised. He'd been suspicious that first night that Max hadn't gone too far and had overheard their discussion.

"So what's so special about Spike?" Max smiled. Angel silently applauded the question. 

Cordy glanced around, wondering how to put it. She glanced at Angel and he nodded, resigned. "Well, see Max, Dennis isn't the only strange phenomenon in our lives. There are other things. Worse things. See Spike was one, not that he is anymore. Now he actually hunts them, which kind of freaked me out at first, but in a good way. I mean they always said that there would be only one and a girl. So how-!"

"Cordy!" Angel snapped, breaking off her ramble.

"Oh, sorry," Cordy laughed. "So what I'm trying to explain is…"

"Vampires," Max provided succinctly.

"Oh, you know about them?" Wesley inquired softly. He still wasn't sure what to make of the young lady. He and Fred had both recognized her immediately from the pictures Angel had provided. But he had also mentioned that she spooked easily and was fairly dangerous. Now suddenly, she was Cordy's newest, best friend and roommate.

"Yeah, I dusted one a few nights ago outside the Flamingo," Max chuckled. Their stunned expressions were absolutely priceless.

"Did it attack you?" Angel demanded irrationally upset. Even though visual proof of her standing before him told him that she was safe, a little fissure of concern had opened in him. She nodded. "You should probably know Max, that while the majority of vampires are evil, there are a few who wouldn't harm you."

"Like you?" she scoffed. She'd done it again. She'd stunned the socks off the whole group with her insight.

"What makes you think that Angel's a vampire?" Fred asked curiously. She wouldn't have known without the physical evidence before her own eyes. Max sighed and settled herself against Cordy's desk. One slim finger jumped up as she began to list off her reasons.

"One, his skin isn't radiating ambient infrared like normal people do. Two," another finger popped up, "you're nose was way too healed from the damage that wall did to it when you and the chick caught up to me."

"Her name is Buffy," Angel interjected softly. 

"Three, I've been here fifteen minutes and I've yet to see you take a breath. Four, not one of your pulse points or veins are active. So I assume you haven't fed for a while. And fifth, because you haven't fed for a bit, there's a certain, ah, shall we say…aroma?"

Everyone gasped, but Angel stood immobile, a slight tension in his jaw. "So let me get this straight. You think I'm a vampire because I stink?" Angel demanded, even though he couldn't refute any of her arguments. 

"Oh, it's not a bad stink," Max chuckled. "I've never minded that sickly sweet smell of decay." Angel eyed her once more, then turned on his heel and stalked towards the basement.

"Oh great," Cordy groaned loudly, throwing her hands up in the air. "Here comes another lovely week long session of Angel McBroody." She started after him but Max stopped her.

"No Cordy," she shook her head. "It's my bad. I'll go.' Cordelia nodded slowly, but inside her mind, she was cackling gleefully. She told Max how to find Angel, then turned to tidy her desk.

Max stomped a little as she descended the stairs. She felt it was only fair to give him some kind of warning. She found him in his kitchen, putting a mug in the microwave. She watched him silently, his back to her. His movements were easy and familiar and the smell of iron coming from the microwave told her what he was doing. She moved to stand beside him, but he just stared at the machine.

"Are you ashamed of yourself?" she asked softly. Angel could tell immediately that she wasn't being accusatory. She wanted to know how he felt.

"Sometimes," he admitted, just as softly. "Yeah, there are parts of my life that I'm not proud of." Master of the brood was now becoming the master of understatement. 

"Does some of it have to do with the blood?"

"It's complicated," Angel sighed. Max nodded and moved closer.

"Then I'll refrain from making comments or jokes about it," Max offered in a shy tone. Angel looked down at the strong woman beside him, peeping up at him through long lashes. She was offering him an olive branch and with no hesitation he took it. 

"Thank you," he said simply. The microwave beeped and Angel removed the mug of blood. Before he could take it someplace private, Max rested a soft hand on his arm. 

"Angel, could I?" she gestured to the mug. He shrugged and let her take it. It was very common for people to have this reaction in their fascination of vampires. Angel figured that it was because babies, in their natural inclination to learn, stuck everything in their mouths. Children had no prejudice against germs, so at some point or another, a bloody digit was bound to end up being tasted. It wasn't until adulthood that the habit was considered socially repugnant. And Angel noticed that even some adults playfully ignored this stricture.

He watched Max cup her hands around the mug and lift it to her face. But instead of the quick, forced, grimace-inducing sip most people took, she breathed in the scent of it. It was almost straight out of a coffee commercial. She blew on it, to make sure that it wouldn't scald her mouth in any way. Then placing her lips on the mug, she tilted it up and took a small mouthful. She swirled it around, then let it run down her throat, swallowing once. 

A stiff breeze could have knocked Angel over in that moment. To a vampire, the sheer enjoyment of savoring the blood was more erotic than a well-executed lap dance. Angel's body tightened in response to the woman before him and her unintentional seduction. He took in a quick, unneeded breath, as she licked her lips. Angel stared at the full, pouty lips, his mind hazy. It took him a moment to realize that she had spoken.

"What?"

Max grinned, strangely pleased at his foolish behavior. "I said it was good, A negative." Angel dropped his stunned glance to the mug in her hand.

"How did you know that?" he gasped. He took the mug from her as she shrugged. 

"It's a special talent of mine," she bluffed.

"A special talent, huh?" he grunted. Some twinkle in her eye let him know that she was teasing.

"Yeah, its called literacy."

"What?" Angel couldn't help but laugh. That certainly wasn't the answer he'd expected. Max gestured to the counter where the blood bag had been left. Its type was printed boldly on the front. Angel laughed harder and Max joined in. It felt good to both of them. But just as abruptly, Cordy's voice interrupted them.

"Hey guys!" she yelled down the stairs. "Sun has set. We're going out. Dinner and dancing on Angel. So chop chop." The pair glanced at each other and laughed again. Finally Angel raised his mug in salute to the bossy woman on the floor above them.

"Tell Cordy I'm having this, then I'll change and be right up."

"Will do."

It didn't take long for Angel to do as he promised. He returned to the main floor as Gunn, Wes and Fred descended from above. They explained that Cordy and Max had returned to their apartment to change and would meet them at the restaurant. As they left the hotel to pile into Angel's car, Angel grinned, unable to remember the last time his step felt so light.


	6. Dinner, No Dancing

Chapter Six

Dinner, No Dancing

A/N- The chef's name in this chapter is Japanese and is pronounced Foo-kee-yo, not the way it looks.

Max loaded her bike onto Cordelia's rack and the two were off to change at their apartment. They chatted amiably and Cordy showed considerable restraint by not asking what she and Angel had discussed. But then, Cordy was keeping the big picture in mind. And she could console herself in her schemes that she was helping not only one, but two of her friends. That was what tonight was all about. She already had planned what outfit she would convince Max to borrow.

A half-hour later, a record for most women, both ladies were ready. Angel, Gunn, Wes and Fred were waiting in Angel's convertible. They'd already discussed transportation. Fred wanted a chance to talk to Max and Angel's car only seated five people. So she opted to join the ladies in Cordelia's SUV. That suited the men just fine. That is, until the ladies emerged from the apartment complex. 

Cordelia came first, wearing her customary red. Her accessories matched perfectly, from her red shoes right down to the red barrette she'd clipped into her hair to pull it back from her face. Her legs, indeed all her skin was pale from her lengthy stay in the hospital. But she was beginning to recover her California glow. Her paleness only enhanced her femininity. But if she was a vision of loveliness, Max was perfection.

Cordelia had lent Max one of her party dresses. It didn't really suit her frame and she thought Max would be perfect in it. She was right. Max hadn't had much chance to shop for some nicer clothes, yet she was comfortable in her work clothes right up to ball gowns. Most nights that they went out, Max would go so far as to wear tight jeans and a cute shirt or turtleneck. Cordy liked her enough to only criticize her wardrobe every other day. It wasn't that Max didn't look good, but Cordy was used to highlighting every curve she had. And she expected other women to feel the same way. Just as she had with every other roommate she'd had, Max humored her and continued to wear what she liked. But tonight, she was out to impress. And when she saw the gown Cordy had produced, she found that the color was too much to resist. So she'd allowed Cordy to fuss over her and do her make-up. The other woman had emphasized her exotic looks, centering on her eyes, making them appear even larger in her face. She'd also curled Max's recently cut hair. It tended to curl on it's own when it was shorter, but Cordy and her array of beauty tools had set it perfectly. 

Angel had barely glanced at the familiar sight of Cordy in full party regalia. But when he caught a glimpse of the trim ankle walking behind his friend, he was suddenly glad that he didn't need to breathe. His gaze slid up her impossibly long, lithe limbs until his eyes nearly crossed. He could have sworn that at first glance, her dress was blue, but the hue changed as she walked. It took him a moment to realize the optical illusion was just the fabric adhering to her body, flowing as she flowed. The fabric swept up her body, to gather at her neck, leaving her arms and shoulder bare. There was a bracelet adorning one arm and in that hand, she clutched a small purse, almost the same blue as the dress. Angel smiled at her, but she was saying something to Cordelia and they both laughed. Angel was captivated all over again. Until Gunn's voice broke his concentration.

"…got to get me some of that," the darker man was chuckling. Fred thumped him in the shoulder.

"She's a person, not a thing you know," she scolded. 

"Uh huh, whatever," Gunn teased. Angel scowled at him in the rearview mirror, but it was useless. Sometimes having no reflection really sucked. Gunn was already climbing out of the car. "Come on Wes, let's go see if we can catch a ride." Wes didn't bother to respond, just trailed after the other man dumbly, to where the ladies were. Fred protested wordlessly but Angel forced himself to chuckle and grab up her hand.

"Hey, you still got me," he offered. Fred just pouted. He wondered when she had learned that. 

"But I wanted to talk to Max," she whined. "Cordy really likes her. I thought I might too. You know I don't have a lot of friends."

"So what are we?" he frowned mockingly. "Chop suey?"

"You know what I mean," Fred she sighed, rolling her eyes. They turned their attention back to the others in time to see Cordelia nudging Max towards Angel's car, then herding the disappointed males into her vehicle. Max smiled brilliantly at them and Angel hurried to climb out of the car. He held the door open for Max while Fred pushed his seat forward. He was so captivated by her that he forgot to offer his hand as she stepped into the car. She settled back and Angel pushed his seat into place. He climbed in, but before he started the car, he turned around to face their guest.

"Did Cordy say where we were going?" he asked easily. Max smiled.

"She said she was craving Japanese and you'd know the place," Max instructed. Angel nodded and turned his attention to driving. Max and Fred introduced themselves properly and began to chat about how Cordy's craving came about. She entertained them with tales about one of her former roommates, named Kendra, who taught conversational Japanese to kids at their apartment. After that, the topic turned to hobbies and Fred was trying to haltingly explain her obsession with mathematics. Surprisingly, Max understood better than others did the points that Fred touched on. She asked intelligent questions about different formulas and Angel's head was nearly spinning as theories flew that he had no comprehension of. By the end of the drive, it seemed as if Max was well on her way to creating another dedicated friend. He could almost smell the hero worship coming from Fred. 

The others had beaten them to the restaurant and were waiting in the lounge, already requesting a table. It didn't take long for the request to be granted. The restaurant was one of those that provided a cooking show as the chef cooked right at your table. Cordy confided to the others that it was 'so 1990's' but according to her, the food was fabulous. Enough so to warrant being seen there occasionally. The hostess showed them to their table, and sure enough more tables were full than empty. The hostess introduced their waitress who greeted everyone pleasantly enough before taking their drink orders. She returned quickly with drinks and a list of the selections the chefs were prepared to make. She left them alone to deliberate and Cordy offered advice about the different dishes on the menu. 

Soon, a young Japanese chef made his way to the table. Everyone decided what he or she wanted and while joking with the bemused group, the young man, Fukyo, began to prepare their food. He did little tricks with his knives while slicing and dicing that had them sighing in appreciation. But the next happened so quickly, that only Angel and Max saw it all clearly. Fukyo had dipped some meat into a little oil before dropping it to the heated surface. He'd wiped his hand on his apron towel, but hadn't gotten it all off. When he grabbed his knife to add vegetables, he went to flip it in the time honored manner, but it slipped. And flew straight at Wesley. Angel was sitting too far, but Max, right beside the pale Brit, snatched the knife from mid-flight and making the move seem natural, flipped it into one of the plum tomatoes awaiting serving, slicing it cleanly in half. The group gasped and started to applaud. Fukyo gaped at Max, who just smiled and casually winked at the trembling man. He recovered quickly, wiped his hand again and continued his little show. 

Dinner continued while the group peppered Max with questions. By Angel's orders, they didn't ask about her appearance in the chamber, or why she'd run away. Max gave them, with Cordy's help, the same story that she'd originally concocted about her life back in Seattle. It was lucky for her that none of them had visited that city, as Max was sure that things had changed drastically over twenty years. Fred continued to ask about more mathematical theories, with Wes occasionally adding something. Cordelia told Gunn and Angel about funny things her ghost, Phantom Dennis did for Max while they were at home. She joked that he liked Max better than he did her, which was really something, as Dennis adored Cordy. 

Finally sated, the group discussed where to go next. Fred naively suggested Caritas, the local demon kareoke bar that they frequented. But the others shot that down. Max was aware of vampires and ghosts, but they had no idea how she'd react to demons. They finally decided on a dance club not too far away. Angel protested, as he didn't dance. Of course the music that the majority of clubs played was not much more than noise to him and the group teased him mercilessly. 

"That's okay," Max chuckled. "I'm not up for dancing either. Biking all day tends to take it out of me." So the group agreed that they'd dance and Angel and Max could watch their coats and drinks and various other things that were always left at the table. That suited Angel perfectly. So they climbed into their respective vehicles and made their way to the club.

The entrance was located down an alleyway, so they were forced to park on the street, about a block away. It was still early enough to beat some of the crowd. But the beat was loud, just like all the other clubs on the block, drawing people in. But before they ever reached their destination, large blue hands reached out and grabbed Fred. She screamed and caught the others attention. They reacted instinctively, racing into the alley, only to be confronted by four large, blue demons. They were misproportioned with large, flabby bodies, yet smaller heads. Wes recognized them instantly from his research.

"Nikoem demons," he shouted to the others. "Their necks are extremely weak, so target there." Angel hadn't noticed until he felt Max's presence beside them that she'd followed after them. One of the demons, holding Fred, looked startled at the abrupt interruption of their meal. Fred, having trained with Angel in tai chi, was trying to get the creature off her, but its bulk was making that difficult. She tried to keep her head and was relieved as the others came after her. She heard a shout and looked up to see Max racing towards her, heedless of the danger. She barely registered what Max yelled at her before the woman launched herself in the air, so she ducked as instructed. 

Max had seen her new friend in danger and reacted. She knew that Angel had probably told the others about her skill, so she really had no reason to hide it. She jumped into the air, feet first as Fred finally ducked. Her legs caught the demons neck in their tight grip and she twisted herself in the air, launching the demon sideways and over in a flip. They all heard the satisfying crunch as the demon's neck snapped under her assault. She landed on her feet and one hand on the ground. 

"Max!" Angel yelled. She looked back to see another demon lunging at her. She ran forward, straight to the wall and everyone was amazed to see her run three steps up the building and flip over the demon's head. As she landed, her hand caught the creature's neck and she snapped it with a simple twist and flex. Angel had the presence of mind to catch the other two before they could react and sweep their heads together, stunning them. He snapped one and then the others neck with his strong arms, almost yanking their heads clean from the bodies. 

Max looked thoughtfully at the demon at her feet. She'd been surprised when she had first seen them, but was used to rolling with the punches. In fact, she'd been almost reluctant to hurt them as they reminded her in some ways as some of the creatures Manticore had produced. But when Fred had screamed, she'd had to remind herself that these weren't her siblings. She turned to survey the group. She'd heard Angel's dangerous growl and knew that he'd dealt with the other two. She smiled when she saw him, full out vamped and chuckled. He looked worse for wear than any of the others, who were all gaping at her. Apparently, Angel's descriptions hadn't done her justice. 

"Hey," she chuckled. "I thought you said you didn't dance."


	7. In Heat

Chapter Seven

In Heat

It seemed an eternity since she'd felt so desired. She and Angel had returned to the apartment she shared with Cordelia, alone. Unexpectedly he'd caught her around the waist. He'd gazed at her from under heavy lidded eyes, the glazed look speaking clearly of his desire for her. She'd responded instantly, her hands reaching for him, his own hands grasping in return. Max felt the rushing of hormones through her body, pushing her to act. And with his hard, toned body before her, she was helpless to stop it. But from the grin on Angel's face, he didn't seem to mind. He responded to her urgings and soon enough they were together in her bed. They explored each other with hands, lips, and eyes, devouring each other. Max's eyes drifted shut as she felt herself spiraling out of control. But the sudden sharp pain in her neck shocked her into stillness. She opened her eyes and was surprised to see that Angel had slipped into his game face. 

"Angel! What's going on?" she demanded, pushing as hard as she could against his shoulders. Angel allowed himself to be moved and looked down at her, grinning, his sharp bloodied, teeth very much in evidence.

"You tell me," he growled. "It's your dream."

Gasping, Max shot straight up in her bed. Shaking the haze of her dream away, she glanced around the room just to assure herself that there was no one there. She pulled her knees up to her chest and rested her head on them. 'Damn' she swore to herself. She knew what the dream meant. She had them two to three times a year. She was in heat again. It was the one thing that bothered her most from her time at Manticore. The feline DNA that they'd given her sent her into estrus cycles, pushing her to mate and produce children. Of course, with birth control pills, the children part had never happened. But she'd never prevented the mating part, no matter how hard she tried, except once. But that had been a strange set of circumstances. It was so bad that she'd even willingly trade the cycles for the seizures she used to suffer. At least with the seizures, a couple of pills would fix the problem. Max groaned as she got out of bed. She had no idea how she was going to make it through the next couple of days. 

It was as she dressed that a brilliant idea came to her. She'd been meaning to check on the Manticore situation. Now was the best time. She needed to get away from temptation and nothing soothed her like the thrill she got riding a motorcycle. Of course, her naughty little mind conjured up the thought of riding Angel, but she was still enough in control to push that thought away while she still could. Now, she just needed an excuse. 

Max pulled out an old duffel bag and threw some basic necessities as she thought. She could take the new motorcycle she'd gotten herself. Of course, she hadn't told Cordelia about it yet. Her late night excursions to the wealthier homes hadn't stopped. And she knew that the other girl would be suspicious of it when Max proclaimed that she only had enough for food, rent, utilities and a couple nights out from her salary. So she could always tell the other girl that she was taking the bus. But to where? She didn't want to give away her plans on the off chance that something was in Wyoming. Then she recalled the story she'd told the girl and her friends. Simple enough to concoct a story about her parents, one or the other, being ill. So she worked it out fully as she dressed and found some breakfast. 

While she put in a phone call to her boss, who readily accepted her family emergency excuse, Cordy emerged from her bedroom. The other woman waited for Max to get off the phone. "What's going on?" she asked softly.

Max smiled sadly, doing her best to be convincing. "My mom is sick. I decided to go back and make sure she's okay."

"Oh," Cordy nodded. "I hope it's not serious."

"I don't think it is," Max improvised. "But still, after everything, I mean. She is my mom."

"Of course," Cordy agreed as she poured herself some of the coffee Max had made. Max smiled at her friend, then stood. She picked up her bag and headed to the door. "Be safe. And call me when you can." Cordy moved forward to give her friend a swift hug and then the dark haired girl disappeared out the door. 

A few hours later, Cordy was finally ready to head to work. She was surprised to find that Angel was up and about. He usually wasn't up until later in the afternoon. He greeted Cordy when she came in and she made some noncommittal noise. 

Angel realized right away that something was bothering her. "Hey Cordy," he called. Once she looked up at him with her full attention, he asked, "what's the matter?"

"Oh, it's nothing really," she waved her hand. "Max's mom is sick, so she headed back to Seattle for a visit." Angel's brow furrowed. He didn't really admit to himself, but after the previous evening, he'd been looking forward to seeing her again soon. 

"That's too bad," he murmured, then walked away. Cordy watched him go, contemplating his words for a moment. Then a slow grin worked its way onto her face. 

A/N- For the full NC-17 version of this chapter, check out my website listed on my author's page! It's under the Warrior Souls section.


	8. Gilette

Chapter Eight

Gilette

Max slowed her motorcycle as she neared her destination. There'd been a couple times on her trip that she'd been tempted to stop and turn around. Just head back to LA and the new life she'd made there. But deep inside herself, she knew that she'd never rest if Manticore existed. It was easy enough to get out of the city. She'd lied to Cordelia about heading to Seattle. She knew there was nothing there for her. And when she returned, she'd tell Cordy that she had mended fences with her parents. Her mother's illness wasn't serious. And as a consolation, they'd bought her a new motorcycle, since her scumbag boyfriend had made off with her cash. All of it lies, but that's what Max's life had always been. One lie on top of another until the pressure became too great. Then she moved on. She'd learned to accept it long ago. 

She was surprised that her plan to get over her mating phase worked so well. She only ever stopped to gas up or eat, occasionally to sleep. And it was easy to control herself for the few days she lived in heat. Controlling the dangerous machine took it out of her, so she was too exhausted to go on the prowl once she finally did slow down. But now that she was only miles from where Manticore had stood, outside Gilette, Wyoming, she felt a strange emotion. She'd felt it before, but never to this depth. Fear. 

The life she was leading was contenting. No people chasing after her, intent on putting her in a cage. Good friends that she liked. A job and home, security. It could all be destroyed with one glance of her past. And this fear struck her more intently than any of the other times she'd felt it. But if she didn't look, search and discover, then the fear would always hang over her. So, gritting her teeth, she continued on. 

Cordelia was sitting at her desk at work, trying to desperately write up some invoices that needed sending out. But the constant interruptions were driving her crazy. And it didn't help that she was worried about her roommate on top of that. But she didn't want to mention anything. The rest of the staff had been unconcerned about Max's abrupt departure. All except Angel, that was. And Cordy would have taken that as a good sign as well, if her mind weren't occupied. She was worried that Max would decide to stay in Seattle, thus leaving Cordy friendless. Well, not completely. She had all her friends at work. But Max was different. She was someone Cordy enjoyed just hanging out with. The fact that Max was comfortable with all the aspects of Cordy's job and her strange Phantom roommate was a big bonus. Cordy could relax around the other woman. She didn't like constantly being on guard against letting something work related slip. She often felt that way when she was around the few other friends she'd made in LA. But to be honest with herself, those other people weren't friends. They were sheep. Cordy had seen enough of life to know that. And the only reason she ever hung around with them was because at times, she could be a sheep too. In fact, she'd been one through most of high school, until she'd woken up to the fact that there were much more important things in life. Things like self-worth, esteem and oh yeah, demons.

So it didn't bother her too badly when Angel inquired about Max every day. He tried to be casual about it. Make it seem like he knew she was worried and his concern stemmed from his friendship with her. But Cordy was the queen of slaying the male heart and she knew the signs. Angel was definitely interested in this girl. And Cordy would do everything in her power to help him get over Buffy. She turned her attention back to the invoices, but just then the telephone rang. She glanced up, hoping that Fred would answer, but the girl was nowhere around. So she lifted up the receiver and tonelessly rapped out the company slogan. "Angel Investigation. We help the hopeless."

"Hey Cordy," Max chuckled at her friend's monotone. 

"Max, hey, Cordy brightened noticeably. "How are you? How's your mom?"

"She's doing better," Max replied. She'd already called Cordelia once, after her first night. She'd already concocted a tale that her so-called mother had gone into anemic shock and had been hospitalized. A transfusion would get her back on her feet and she'd be fine. Cordy had swallowed it easily. "Actually, I just wanted to let you know that I'm going to stick around here a little longer before heading home. Check out the old haunts, you know."

"But you're definitely coming back, right?" Cordy almost panicked. She heard Max chuckle again.

"Yes Cordy, I'm definitely coming back. I like LA."

"Oh good," the brunette sighed I relief. "Well, I hope you have fun. But we miss you."

"We?"

"Yeah, me and the rest of the gang," Cordelia clarified. "Even Angel has been asking about you everyday."

"Really?" Max was surprised. "That's so sweet. I guess you can tell them all I'm fine and I'll be home soon. I miss all of you too." They said their farewells and Cordy hung up the phone. As she did, Angel swept into the office. 

"Who was that?" he asked softly. He didn't want to let her know that he'd been eavesdropping. 

"That was Max," Cordy shrugged while covertly watching him rifle through some mail. "She just wanted to let me know that she's going to be in Seattle for a while. But she says that she misses us."

"She does?" he asked, trying to keep the slight tinge of hope out of his voice.

"Uh huh," Cordy nodded. "She thought it was really sweet that you asked after her."

"She did?" he looked bewildered. 

"That's what she said."

"Oh, okay," Angel was grinning to himself. He scooped up his mail and sauntered off, never even noticing when one envelope slipped out of his grasp and onto the floor. Cordy watched him go, shaking her head in amusement. She slipped out of her seat and picked up the piece of mail and was going to give it to him until she noticed the return address. She ripped into it and scanned the invitation inside quickly. A plan formed in her mind and she grinned as she decided to act upon it. Fred walked into the lobby to check if there was anything Cordy had for her to do and found her friend smiling happily.

"What's that?" the young girl asked, motioning to the invitation. Cordy turned her head and laughed impishly. 

"This Fred, is Angel's ticket to the chocolate factory," she crowed.

Max had hung up her cell phone after talking to Cordelia. She surveyed the road she was on. It was so different from the one she had traveled as a child, but still the same in a strange way. But now, by calling her roommate, she'd committed herself to this journey. She sighed and stuffed the phone in the pocket of her coat and brought the motorcycle to life again. She sped down the road, only to be startled by the sight that greeted her. 

In the hills where Manticore had risen up in her childhood, there was nothing but an old, dilapidated farmstead. The buildings were old and sagging. Vehicles, farm equipment and other various machinery sat in the field. There was a herd of cows grazing about aimlessly. And most notably of all, a large 'For Sale' sign in the driveway. Max took it all in. She might have believed that she had the wrong place. But the hills, the crop of trees behind the house, she could feel it in her stomach. This was the place. With a small sigh of relief, Max continued on to Gilette. There was still one more thing she had to check.

She ended up in a small bar. She'd already repeated her cover story to the bartender and he'd directed her to a group of locals. She eased her way in and introduced herself. Little Max, looking for her mother's cousin, one Donald Lydecker. To her amazement, after only buying one round of beer, they were eager to share. The group not only had heard of him, but also was eager to fill her in on the scandal that had rocked their town four years ago. Poor Donald owned the very farm that Max had stopped at, expecting something much different. Five years ago, the Lydecker's had everything going for them. A good home, happy marriage, a family in the future. But then, Lydecker's wife had been killed in a drunk driving accident. The poor woman had never had a chance. Poor Donald was heartbroken. He'd begun to drink and after a year, was so deeply depressed that townsfolk despaired he'd ever come out of it. He'd taken a gun to his own head on the anniversary of his wife's death. The farm had been sold, but no one ever stayed long, swearing that the place was haunted. 

Max was suitably stunned when she heard this. She'd always known that Lydecker had lost his wife. Had even turned to alcohol for comfort. But this confirmed her belief that maybe Manticore didn't exist in this dimension that she'd found herself in. She thanked the group for sharing her mother's cousin's fate with her and left. She still had some snooping to do. But now, that fear wasn't gnawing at the pit of her stomach. She was safe.


	9. The Humanitarian

Chapter Nine

The Humanitarian

Max returned home from a hard day's work to find the apartment she shared with Cordy completely trashed. She just walked in and stopped short. It looked like a hurricane had torn through the place and Max was at a loss as to what happened. She wondered if burglars had ransacked the place, but nothing seemed to be missing. She then wondered if Phantom Dennis was in a snit about something, but she couldn't sense anything like that. It was only when Cordy emerged from her room that Max began to get a glimmer. 

"Oh, thank the Powers," the other woman sighed. "I was afraid you were never going to get home."

"Um Cordy," Max grimaced, looking over the other woman standing across the room. She was wearing her bathrobe; her hair wrapped in a turban style towel, obviously still wet, and was waving her hands in the air. Probably trying to dry her nail polish, Max decided wryly. "What's going on?" Cordy glanced down at the nails, then continued her frenzied flapping. 

"No time for that," Cordy shook her head. "Angel's going to be here in an hour to pick you up."

"Huh?"

Cordy glanced up again at the stunned response before her features screwed up on her face. She barely restrained herself from giving her forehead a light slap. "Don't tell me I forgot to tell you?"

"Tell me what?" Max demanded, definitely suspicious. Cordy tried to keep from grinning. 

"It's the Los Angeles Business Humanitarian Awards banquet tonight," she squealed. "I was supposed to go with Angel," she continued, seriously bending the truth. Every year, Angel Investigation was invited, for a hefty price on the tables, and every year, Angel declined. It was just as well, Wolfram and Hart always won. They all suspected that the law firm bought the award with discreet and not so discreet behavior. But now, with Angel at the helm, he'd need to be there to accept the award. Not for one second did Cordelia Chase consider that they might not win it. "But then I remembered a really important premiere that I need to appear at." She mentally crossed her fingers, then raced on before Max could say anything. "So I thought, that maybe you could do me the favor of going with him so he wouldn't be dateless?" She put her most appealing, little girl look on her face. Max rolled her eyes and sighed.

"Does Angel know you can't make it?" she demanded. 

"I've been trying to get a hold of him all day, but I'm sure he won't mind," Cordy assured her. 

"Maybe you'd better try again," Max suggested. Cordy stared at her for a moment. She weighed her chances, knowing it would be easier to pull off the switch after Angel arrived at the apartment. But Max had that stony look in her eye and Cordy by now knew better than to push her luck. She sighed and carefully picked up her telephone receiver, mindful of her still damp nails. Now, if only…she dialed the number and was instantly gratified that Fred picked up. The girl was completely in on and supportive of her plan. 

"Hey Fred, it's Cordy," she announced unnecessarily. The other girl knew her voice by now and Cordy never announced that unless something was up. So Fred was on her guard immediately.

"What's up Cordy?" she asked softly. 

"Is, um, Angel there?"

Fred glanced about the room until he remembered that he had already started getting ready for his reluctant date. "No, he's in the shower."

"Oh goo-! Uh, I mean darn! I need to talk to him about tonight."

"What's the problem?" the girl moaned.

"Well, see, Max wants to make sure that he's okay with taking her instead of me?" Cordelia explained hastily. Fred caught on immediately.

"That's okay," she chuckled. "Just tell Max that I'll tell him and if there's a problem, he or I will call, if not, be ready to go. Of course he won't call." She knew that her scheming friend would understand her little diversion.

"Oh thank you Fred," Cordelia laughed. "I'll tell her. Bye now." Fred heard the dial tone and hung up on her end. She quickly scribbled two notes, both for Angel, hid one and then scampered off to her own room to get ready for the evening out. 

Back at their apartment, Cordy told Max what Fred had 'said'. "So you need to get ready, just in case. I even picked out a dress for you." Cordy was almost jumping up and down at the excitement of not only shopping for herself, but for Max as well. Max sighed and shed her coat and backpack as Cordy ran to get the dress. She was back in a flash and was carefully unzipping the garment bag. Inside was a very familiar garment. Max felt the bottom of her stomach drop out and she stared up at Cordy in stunned disbelief. 

Cordelia watched her friend and suddenly got a strange feeling from the girl. "You don't like it?" As soon as she'd seen the Raphael Banks, she'd known that Max would be perfect in it. As if in a dream, Max reached out one hand and pulled the material out of the bag. "I'm sure we can find something else, but…"

"No, it's okay," Max whispered. It was exactly the same dress that she had worn to the wedding of Logan's cousin. It held a lot of interesting memories for her. Not least of all, when Logan had told her to keep the dress because she was the most beautiful woman in the room in it. Max felt her reservations about the evening dissolve. After all, it wasn't many chances she had for getting dressed up. Without any further words, she took the dress from her beaming roommate and made her way to her room, already planning on how to use make-up to cover the scar on her chest. That was something she definitely wasn't ready to share yet. Cordy returned to her room and continued to prepare for the evening ahead

Over at the Hyperion, Angel was almost ready. He checked his watch. He had five minutes before he was supposed to leave to pick up Cordelia for the evening of torture she had in mind. Not that it would be torture to her, but for him. He just was not comfortable in public situations like the one she was forcing him into. He chuckled to himself. If a year ago, anyone had suggested Angel and his team going to an awards banquet, every last single one of them would have laughed out loud. But now, Cordy had her heart set on going. And of course her excitement had roused Fred's and before the men knew what had hit them, they were coerced into the centuries old tradition of climbing into a monkey suit, going out, being incredibly bored, just to get a glimpse of a smile from the women in their lives. Angel glanced down at himself, resigned to being forced to accept someone else's opinion on his appearance. He couldn't really do an overall check, as he had no reflection, so he'd corner someone to make sure everything was straight on his tux. He headed upstairs to the lobby, which he found strangely deserted. 

Angel glanced at the desk, noting a single piece of paper. It was addressed to him, from Fred. In it she instructed Angel to go ahead without them, the rest of the crew would meet him and Cordelia at the hotel where the banquet was being held. Angel sighed and listened carefully. He could hear movements above him, so he knew the others were still getting ready. He glanced outside, glad that the sun had set. Cordy would skin him alive if he were late picking her up. He left the note where it was and headed to his car. 

As he drove over, he wondered how he'd be able to get out of this whole deal. Cocktails from seven to eight. Dinner from eight to nine. Awards at nine, then more mingling afterwards. He knew that Cordy would be thriving with all the attention there and nothing could pull her away from that. Well, if they were lucky, a case would come up and they could exit gracefully, and early. Angel chuckled to himself, knowing he'd never be that lucky. He pulled up to Cordy and Max's apartment complex and made his way in. 

He knocked on their door, wondering if Max was home as well. The door swung open and Cordy stood there, still in her bathrobe, a towel bound around her head. "Oh Angel, good, you're here!" she smiled warmly and motioned the Vampire in. He stepped in and looked Cordy over, a mocking smile on his face.

"I know I'm not that good on current styles," he chuckled, "but even I know that the bathrobe look went out a long time ago, like, with the Romans." Cordy had to hide her grin. She smacked him lightly on the arm.

"I'm so glad you're okay with this then," she sighed. He rolled his eyes.

"I'm not really okay, with it, but I-!"

She interrupted before he could finish his thought, deliberately misunderstanding him. "Oh, but Fred said she or you would call if it was a problem." He cocked his head, not understanding what she meant. 

"Why would Fred call?" he demanded.

"I called her earlier, didn't she give you the message?" Cordy demanded, hoping that Angel wouldn't come down hard on her friend for the supposed missed message.

"No, she didn't," Angel thought back, trying to remember if there'd been another message. But there'd only been the one. "What was the message?"

"I'm so sorry," Cordelia put one hand to her mouth, more to hide the grin that kept threatening to erupt. "I have a previous engagement tonight. I absolutely promised I would be there. But with the excitement over the banquet, I completely spaced it out." Angel smiled and mentally relaxed. Now he wouldn't have to go. Then he realized that Cordy was still speaking. He knew from past experience that if he didn't pay attention, her voice would only grow shriller. "…so Max said she'd go with you instead. You don't mind, do you?" Her look was so hopeful, but Angel was too stunned to answer. Max was going to be his date? No, no date. She was just taking her friend's place. He and Cordelia weren't dating. Ergo, he and Max weren't dating. It was just a dinner. A long, boring, pointless drawn out evening, maybe with dancing. Angel shook his head, Cordy's voice piercing the haze in his mind as he pictured himself dancing with Max. "Angel? Is that okay?"

"Uh, yeah," he cleared his throat. "Yes, that would be fine." He nodded. "If she doesn't mind, that is." Any protests or gentlemanly ways of letting her off the hook flew out of Angel's head when the door to Max's room opened and she stepped out. She was stunning. She was dressed in a strapless red gown, beaded at the top, flowing in the skirt, with little bits of material behind her that bounced as she walked towards him. She'd pulled her hair up for the evening, leaving a few wisps to trail down her neck. The rest of it was piled on her head, a wonderful array of curls. Angel gaped at her as she came to stand before him. There was silence until Cordy jabbed him discreetly in the side. "Max, you look wonderful." 

"Thank you," she said slowly, a wide smile forming on her face. "Are you sure you don't mind me taking Cordy's place?"

"No, no," he denied. "It's just fine." He scrambled in his mind for something to say that wouldn't offend either woman. "How about you?" he finally decided on. "Please don't feel that you have to go."

"Well, it's been a while since I went to an event like this and I need to brush up on my snob-speak. I am so woefully undereducated in that arena," she chuckled. Angel smiled at her little witticism.

"Maybe you could give me some lessons tonight," he suggested softly. "I haven't had much practice either." Max tilted her head to survey his handsome face.

"Something tells me that you were born with a few other traits to make up for that lack," she whispered breathily. Neither of them noticed Cordy almost bouncing on the balls of her feet in her glee at getting them together on a date. 

"And what would those be?" Angel asked, unconsciously moving closer to the woman he was becoming desperate to know. 

"Well," Max teased, "you know, there's those incredible good looks of yours, your impeccable manners, and…" she trailed off, glancing down shyly.

"And what?" Angel smiled. She was so entrancing when she was coy like this. 

"Well, I suppose it would be," she paused dramatically before looking up at him again, a merry twinkle in her eye, "that Blarney Stone you must have kissed goodness knows how many times." Angel's eyes widened and he chuckled. She'd got him. They all knew it and that just caused him to laugh harder. Max had joined in, but Cordy was staring at him strangely. He stopped laughing and stared at his friend, puzzled. Cordy had tears shimmering in her eyes. 

"What's wrong Cor?" She just shook her head and quickly embraced him. He hugged her back, sharing a strange look with Max. Cordy let him go and stepped back, a tremulous smile plastered on her face.

"I just like it when you laugh," she whispered. "I don't get to hear it enough." Angel smirked, knowing that recently, she was certainly justified. He hadn't laughed a lot recently, and doing so felt good. Max grinned at the pair and lifted her evening wrap, matched red silk scarf and wrapped it around her shoulders. She picked up the purse that matched her beaded top and looked to her friend.

"Well, then I guess that'll be our new mission for the next few weeks," she announced brightly. Angel held the door open for her and they took their leave, never realizing that the moment they walked out the door, Cordelia was yanking her robe and towel off, just as ready to go as Max had been.

Angel dutifully followed the beautiful girl down to his car. He opened the passenger door to his convertible and she slipped inside. He rounded to the driver's side and smoothly pulled away from the curb, wondering what he could say to her. She turned suddenly in her seat, obviously perturbed about something. 

"Angel?" she spoke carefully, not wanting to alarm him. A thought had just popped up in her head. "Cordy said that she had a premiere to go to tonight. But as far as I can remember, there isn't anything scheduled until next week. And why would Cordelia be invited?" Angel glanced at his date, catching on immediately.

"You don't think…" he began. Max smiled at him. That was exactly what she thought. 

"She probably forced you into going to this dinner thing, she already had a dress for me, and I'll bet anything that Fred was in on it with her," Max surmised. Angel nodded, and then concentrated on one of the things she'd said.

"One thing about Cordy is that she's got good fashion sense," Angel commended his friend. "You look absolutely gorgeous in that dress. Of course, you always look gorgeous." Max blushed slightly, wondering if she should clue him in that she'd worn this dress before in her lifetime. But she swiftly decided against that. It was a whole different can of worms that she didn't want to deal with on this night. 

"There's the Blarney I mentioned earlier coming into play," she teased. Angel smiled in return and chuckled. 

"It's not Blarney when it's the truth," he told her seriously. She didn't reply and he glanced at her blushing face again. It amazed him that he felt so easy and comfortable with this woman who had come so abruptly into his life. He had to admit that she was a welcome diversion from his brooding over Buffy. But slowly, she was turning into something more than a diversion for him. If anything, thoughts of Buffy were the distraction now. He had to face facts, she had moved on, just like he had told her to those many years ago. But none of that made it hurt any less. 

"So," Max drawled, breaking his reverie. "How exactly should we get our revenge on Miss Cordelia?"

"We could always not go," he suggested, tugging slightly at his bow tie. He was gratified that Max laughed.

"I hate to inform you," Max giggled. "But under no circumstances should you ever suggest that a woman ditch an event that she just got all dolled up for. Unless you have a better offer of what to do instead." Angel ginned wickedly at that last part. It took him a moment to remember that what he wanted to offer was strictly forbidden to him. 

"All right," he sighed. "Obviously Cordelia wants us to be together. We could just let her know that she needs to keep her nose out of our love life."

"Oh, we have a love life?" Max teased. Angel was glad that Vampire's couldn't blush.

"Well, uh-!" he stammered. "I mean-!"

"Don't worry," Max interrupted. "I know what you meant." Angel was relieved that she didn't sound upset as she spoke. He wanted to kick himself for blundering like that, assuming that she maybe felt or was starting to feel the same way that he was feeling for her.

"Well, I guess we could go and just see what happens," he suggested slowly. Max stared at him curiously for a moment before nodding her head. 


	10. A Familiar Face

Chapter Ten

A Familiar Face

The start of the evening was a complete success. Angel and Max had arrived at the hotel where the banquet was being held and met up with Fred and Gunn. Both looked a little out of place, but mildly enthusiastic. Fred and Angel spoke about the message that had been misplaced and Fred explained that she must have dropped some files on it without realizing and apologized. Angel was in too good of humor to be upset over it and told the girl so. They inquired after Wes and had been informed that the Brit had managed to procure a date at the last minute and was picking her up. Neither Angel nor Max was surprised when he walked in with Cordelia on his arm. They shared a smile over her flimsy excuse of having messed up her dates and she was pleased that they weren't overtly angry with her. 

The group entered the banquet hall together and found their table so that the ladies had someplace to leave their purses. Angel, who would have sat and tried to get through the evening, was poked in the ribs by Gunn. He followed his friend's lead and went to procure drinks for the ladies. When he returned, Max was already politely chatting with someone unknown to him. He slipped up silently beside her, but was surprised when she wasn't startled. She smoothly accepted the champagne from him and made introductions to the woman she was talking with.

Angel discovered something about Max right then. No matter what he believed about her, she always seemed to exceed those thoughts. She was completely at ease in this social setting. He watched her for the next half-hour as she made small talk with people she'd never met and once done talking to them would make amusing comments designed to entertain her escort. Angel smiled more in that half-hour with Max than he had the previous month. He enjoyed her sometimes gentle, sometimes stinging wit. Finally however, it was time for dinner. 

Angel escorted Max back to their assigned table, close to the head table. He held her chair for her like a gentleman, as Gunn and Wes did for the others, then took his own seat. Max leaned forward to talk to Fred for a moment and Angel was strangely gratified that he was privileged to know her. To know them all. Since he'd arrived in LA, there had never been a woman in his life that they all approved of, aside from Buffy and Cordy. And thinking of that, he realized that Cordy had never really liked him being with Buffy. And granted, her previous statement that bad things followed the star-crossed lovers was hardly incorrect. 

Dinner was soon served. Cordelia had arranged everything for their night when she had replied to the invitation. The only thing she hadn't done was tell Angel that indeed Wolfram & Hart had won the award and by extension, Angel Investigations, because in the eyes of the business world, the two were linked. So she'd plagued Wes to write an acceptance speech on the off chance. He'd done so, not really caring one way or the other. So when the announcement was made, Cordy had the speech in her purse, ready to press into Angel's hand when he stood to accept the award. But first, there was the introduction to get through. 

Angel was the only one to hear Max's gasp when the keynote speaker stood to make the award presentation. He barely heard the man's words as he leaned towards his date. "Max, are you okay?" he questioned softly. Max tore her gaze away reluctantly and turned to the Vampire. She stared at him and he was surprised to see a hint of tears and something else he couldn't name in her eyes. Regret, perhaps? 

"I didn't know he was here," she whispered finally. Cordy over heard this and leaned forward as well. 

"I didn't know you knew Jonas Cale," she murmured. Max shook her head. 

"I only met him the one time," she shrugged. She laughed bitterly. "He was probably so drunk he didn't remember meeting me. Or insulting me." She realized suddenly that she was giving a little too much away. "Never mind," she shrugged. She turned away before anyone else could question her. Cordelia and Angel shared a concerned look, but their attention was caught up in the last of Jonas' speech.

"And so ladies and gentlemen, I'd like to present the winner of this years LA business humanitarian award. Their very motto speaks to the basis of all we stand for. They help the hopeless and tonight we honor them for it. Ladies and gentlemen our humanitarians, Angel Investigations." The crowd began to clap and Fred giggled at the stunned look on Angel's face. Cordy dug through her purse and pulled from it the speech. She shoved it into her boss' hand and gave him a gentle shove out of his seat. 

Angel was stunned for a moment and was about to round harshly on Cordelia for springing this on him in this manner, but then he caught sight of Max. She was beaming up at him, a wide smile on her exotic face. He smiled down at her when she mouthed 'good luck' to him. He made his way to the head table and stood behind the podium with Mr. Cale. A plaque was awarded and pictures were taken. Jonas took his seat and Angel turned to the audience. He caught sight of Max again and forgot to even be nervous as he unfolded the speech Wes had written. He barely registered what he spoke of, deciding to speak as if to Max and his friends alone. He spoke quickly of his humbleness at being presented this prestigious award and the need of humanity not only in business but personal lives as well. It was a wonderful speech that made everyone swell with applause when he was done. But Angel could only see the pride on Max's eyes.

He returned to their table and took his seat. Max leaned towards him, still smiling. "That was a wonderful speech."

Angel glanced down at the tablecloth, embarrassed at her pleasure in him. "I didn't write it," he mumbled. He glanced up quickly at his friends. They were smiling at him as well. Wes was blushing slightly and he knew that his stuffy British friend had worked the words Angel had presented. 

"The words were wonderful," Max persisted, "but I think it was the presence of your belief in what you read that affected everyone just as much." She spoke quite diplomatically, giving praise to both men, for she had noticed Wes' blush as well. But neither did she detract from Angel's contribution. No one said anything until Cordy leaned forward.

"So Max, how did you meet Jonas Cale?" she demanded in her usual blunt way. Max looked startled, unsure of how to answer. But Cordy rolled her eyes. "Duh, I should have remembered. He just moved here from Seattle a few months ago." Max breathed a silent sigh of relief. 

"How did you know that?" Gunn asked curiously. Cordy still amazed him in the strange facts that she knew or was interested in. 

"It was in the brochure," she shrugged. "A few months ago, Jonas' brother, who originally ran the foundation was killed in a car accident, along with his wife, son and nephew. Jonas' son," she clarified. Max spun around to stare at her friend. 

"Logan and Bennett are dead?" she gasped. Cordy was stunned by her friend's reactions. The group of friends looked around at each other, until Cordy finally answered. 

"I think those were the boys names, yes," she confirmed. But already her friend had turned away and stood up. 

"Excuse me," Max murmured. Angel stood and followed her immediately, worried about what this news would do to her. There was so much they didn't know about Max and he wanted to make sure that she'd be okay. He followed as she threaded her way to the elder man. They waited until he had finished speaking to another man and turned to face them. Jonas' face lit up when he saw Angel then turned the charming smile to the young lady beside him.

"Jonas Cale," he introduced himself to the lovely young woman. He held out his hand and she slowly took it. 

"Mr. Cale," Angel caught his attention. "This is Max Gueverra. She's moved down recently from Seattle."

"Oh, a friendly face, if not a familiar one," Jonas joked. Max smiled slightly. They let go of each other's hands. 

"Mr. Cale," she spoke hesitantly, wondering if she could bring up such a painful topic. But she had to know for sure. "I just wanted to extend my deepest sympathies about your family."

"Oh," he seemed taken aback for a moment, certainly not expecting this. It had been almost five months since the accident, but the loss was with him every day. But seeing the misery in the girl's eyes, he knew that she hadn't meant to hurt him with the reminder. "Thank you my dear. I miss them every day."

"I can understand," she murmured. She saw the sparkle of tears in his eyes. It surprised her. This Jonas was so different than the one she'd met at Bennett and Marianne's wedding. Then he'd been a brash drunkard who didn't care or remember who he insulted. The man before her was humbled through his losses, seeming to search for a way to better the world he lived in.

Jonas studied her for a moment, wondering why he felt the need to share his innermost thoughts to the stunningly beautiful young woman. But he finally gave in to the urge. "I think the biggest regret I had was that I hadn't taken the time to catch up with my brother and his family when I dropped Bennett, my son off for his vacation with them. We were so out of touch and I regret that. I loved my nephew as if he were my own."

"I'm sure they knew how much you did love them," Max sighed. Jonas glanced up at her again.

"How did you know them?" he asked suddenly. Max thought for a moment.

"Logan was in my roommate's Japanese class that she ran through our apartment," she improvised. "He was such a sweet, inquisitive boy."

Jonas barked a short laugh. "That he was, my dear. That he was." He paused for a moment. "Did you talk to him much?" Max bit her lip, then shook her head.

"Just a few times after his lessons," she smiled sadly. She recalled something the other Jonas had mentioned that she knew of. "He sure loved that show, 'X-Files'." Jonas laughed again. It was a well-established fact in the family. 

"No, that show didn't scare him at all," Jonas chuckled. Max felt inner relief. She had pulled it off. She was about to bid him farewell, when suddenly the older man reached into his inner breast pocket. She gasped when she saw what he withdrew. "Young lady, what you told me means a lot to me. I think if he were here, and a little older, Logan would have wanted you to have this. It's his-!"

"His mother's locket!" she gasped, recognizing it immediately. She looked up at the stunned expression on Jonas' face.

"You recognize it?"

"Logan told me that his father gave it to his mother the day he was born," Max nodded. "She was going to give it to him when he found…"

"The woman he loved," Jonas finished for her. He took her hand and placed the locket in it, closing her fingers around it. "I think that if my shy little nephew liked you enough to share all that, then I know who was in his heart, bless his soul." Max looked up from their hands, tears in her eyes and a tremulous smile on her face. Angel nearly felt his heart break for her. She looked so incredibly fragile in that moment. But he also sensed that there was more to the story than he had so far heard. 

"Logan was a very special person," Max commented, "as I'm sure Bennett was as well."

Jonas beamed at her. "Yes they were. Thank you for bringing a little peace to an old man's heart." He leaned forward and kissed her cheek. He whispered a goodbye to both of them, then slipped away. Angel studied Max again as she softly fingered the locket. This woman was such an enigma to him and he was suddenly looking forward to discovering all the layers of her. She smiled at Angel and turned to go back to their table. She wanted to make sure she didn't lose her precious gift. 

"Max, are you going to be okay?" Angel asked solicitously after she'd done that. She glanced up and gave him a brief nod. Angel glanced around, noticing that a band had set up and soft music was now floating around the room. "Would you like to dance?"

Max looked up into his incredible brown eyes, wondering if it were possible to drown in them, in the depth of caring and compassion that she saw there. She simply nodded again and Angel stepped back to let her take the lead to the dance floor. As they made their ways through the tables, Max felt Angel solicitously press his hand against her back, a gentlemanly courtesy. She gasped slightly at the warm tingle she felt shoot through her skin. It confused her, because all her senses started to sing. 

"Max, are you okay?" Angel asked again, having heard her gasp. She whirled around to stare at him, dumbfounded.

"Angel, you're warm," she muttered. He looked at her strangely. He glanced down at his hand that had touched the bare skin of her back. He was surprised to note that she was right, but it seemed to be fading as quickly as it had come. He glanced back up at her face, concern and puzzlement written all over her. 

"Probably just picking up heat from an overcrowded ball room," he joked. He was actually looking forward to getting to the dance floor and seeing if contact with her might heat him up again. She smiled softly, almost as if she had read her mind. She would have turned and led the way, if she didn't suddenly catch sight of her friend fainting. 

"Cordy!" she called. Angel spun around, seeing his friends gathered around his seer. It seemed as if her mind numbing visions had returned. And a worse time, it could not have been. 


	11. Prophecy Found

Chapter Eleven

Prophecy Found

Angel unlocked his door and let his unexpected company into his apartment. Buffy shuffled in followed by Spike, then Max. Their sudden battle with the demons left them a little tired. Especially as they really weren't prepared for it. Angel shut the door behind himself, then moved to find some clean clothes for the others to wear. The demons were extremely messy when they died and they were all covered by little bits of filth and blood. 

When Max and Angel had rushed to Cordy's side at the awards banquet, she informed that she'd definitely had a vision. It wasn't necessary for them all to go, as she'd seen Spike and Buffy already dealing with it. But they needed help. She gave them the address, then informed them that she and Wes had packed extra clothes for everyone on the chance that their evening might be interrupted. Gunn had already gone to retrieve them. After a few minutes, Angel had changed and was surprised to find Max waiting for him at his car. He'd protested that she didn't need to go, but she gave him the flippant reply that he'd already asked her to dance. And a fight with a demon seemed to be as close as they'd get that evening. Angel had climbed into the car with her, strangely pleased by her response. And the resolve in him that he would have that dance with her, very soon. 

"There should be plenty of hot water, if anyone wants to shower," he spoke easily, as if he did this all the time. Which, in his line of work, actually was often. Buffy lifted up an oozy strand of hair and stared at it in distaste. 

"If you wouldn't mind," she sighed. She looked at her boyfriend. He nodded. 

"I'll get them while you shower," he mumbled. He rose from his seat on a kitchen stool and slipped out the door.

"We've got some extra clothes in the car," Buffy explained to the other two. Angel nodded. "Max, did you want to borrow some clothes. I have enough to share."

"That'd be nice, thanks," the brunette smiled. "I think anything of Angel's would just keep falling off."

"Yeah," Buffy chuckled tiredly. "He is rather large, isn't he?"

"Hey," Angel protested. "I'm still in the room."

"You can't be offended when it's the truth," Max teased. Buffy glanced at them both, intrigued. The two had seemed to get cozier with each other. And in a way, she was slightly jealous. It had always been her place to tease him and be around him after a battle. She bit her lower lip. She really didn't want to be the ex-girlfriend who moved on with her life, but wouldn't allow anyone else to. 

"Do you mind if I shower first?" the blonde asked. Max inclined her head in permission. 

"Let me get the first aid kit first," Angel decided. 

"Do you need it?" Buffy asked worriedly. "Are you hurt?"

"No," Angel denied. He turned to his newest friend. "But Max is." Buffy felt bad right then for not even noticing.

"What's wrong?" she asked the other woman. Max chuckled.

"I'm fine," she tried to assure them.

"You're bleeding," Angel said forcefully. "I can smell it." Max smirked at him, but refrained from making a comment. 

"Damn," Buffy swore softly. She always hated it when civilians got hurt. But then Max didn't quite fit into that category. "We'd better take a look at it." She nodded to Angel, who moved off to retrieve the first aid kit. Once he was in the bathroom, Max sighed and pulled her shirt over her head, wincing a little as the fabric pulled away from the wound. Underneath, she was wearing a tank top and strapless bra. Buffy moved around the woman to assess the damage. Spike returned then, with a medium suitcase in his hand. He set it down by the door and shut the heavy door. 

"Everything all right luv?" Spike asked. 

"Oh wow!" was all Buffy could say. Max twisted slightly in her seat. As far as she knew, it was a single flesh wound, barely worth mention. As attuned with her body as she was, she guessed it to be about three inches in length. 

"That bad?" she asked, jokingly. 

"No," Buffy laughed. "Your tattoo." It amazed her to see the black scrolling letters starting at Max's shoulders, moving further down, disappearing under her tank top. It was such graceful writing, and it seemed to bring up a familiar ache and intensity in Buffy's mind. It was important to her for some reason. "This must have taken forever. And pain. Needles ouchie." Since they were both behind her, they couldn't see the utter terror and panic on her face when Buffy said tattoo. But Angel, emerging from the bathroom, saw it all. He hurried to the girl's side, wondering if the wound was worse than he'd assumed.

"Max, what is it?" he demanded, his voice low. He dumped the kit on the counter. Suddenly, she twisted around, trying to see over her shoulder. The angle was all wrong and she saw nothing but her wound. She stood and pushed past Angel and ran into the bathroom. The door slammed shut behind her. They stared at one another, wondering what had set her off.

Max pulled her tank top off and turned so that her back was to the mirror. She turned her head and saw it. It wasn't the same as the first time. Those markings had randomly appeared over her arms and back. Bits and pieces slowly appearing. Each a precious clue to the larger puzzle. But now, the whole thing had appeared at once. She closed her eyes and her head fell back. She could even pinpoint when it had happened. Earlier that night, when Angel had touched her. He'd pressed his hand against her lower back to help guide her through the tables at the hotel. The tingling sensation that had started there had gone on to radiate through her whole back, but she'd written it off to lust for the vampire. Now she knew better. A few tears leaked from her closed eyes and she slumped back against the counter. 

"What the hell is the matter with her?" Spike snorted. Neither Buffy nor Angel could answer. He would have said more, but then they heard Max's rage.

"No, damn it, no!" she screamed. Something shattered and Angel ran to the door. He rattled the door, but it was locked.

"Max, let me in," he called. There was silence. "Damn it Max, open the door." He couldn't explain his response. He just felt that she needed him, somebody. She was in pain; he could feel it in his gut. Suddenly, Buffy was at his side. 

"Angel, don't," she warned tersely. She knew him well enough to know that he would break the door down, if necessary. She pushed him away from the door. He hesitated for a moment, then stumbled off to sit on the couch. Buffy knocked lightly on the door after he was seated. "Max, can you let me in?" There was a pause and the door unlocked. Buffy turned the knob and slipped inside, shutting the men out. 

Buffy gasped when she saw Max in just her bra, barely taking in the broken mirror. The other woman had a long white scar running down the center of her chest from her clavicle down to her stomach. Buffy shuddered to imagine what had caused it. There was another smaller scar, puckered, on Max's right shoulder. Max noticed the stare.

"Operation and gunshot wound," she explained succinctly. Buffy nodded. She really didn't need to know more than that. Max sighed and turned around. She pulled her hair off her back so that Buffy could see the entire marking on her back. "It's not a tattoo."

"Then what the hell is it?"

"It's a prophecy." 

Buffy gasped. She'd never heard of a prophecy appearing on someone's skin. And it hit her again how familiar it looked to her. "Has this ever happened before?" Max nodded. 

"A…while ago, I had this prophecy appear, bit by bit," Max tried to explain without giving too much away. "But it faded after a day or so. I suppose we'd better get pictures so we can figure this one out." Buffy wanted to ask more questions, but the tense set of Max's features and body language told her to wait. 

"I'll see what Angel has," she assured her. She slipped out again to make her request. It didn't take long for him to find a digital camera that Cordy insisted they have. He handed it to Buffy and without a word, the blonde slipped back into the bathroom. Max tried to stay still as Buffy duly recorded every mark present. Max had had to remove her bra and was holding a towel over her front, just for modesty. The two women weren't friendly enough to be at ease with each other in a social situation yet. This was infinitely weirder. "All done," she finally said. "I'll take these out and we can have a look. Why don't you shower and relax. I'll get you a change of clothes." She slipped out again, and set the camera on the kitchen counter. She knelt then at the suitcase and pulled out an old pair of sweats and one of her shirts. She knocked on the door, slipped the clothes in and shut the door again. She heard the lock turn and went to sit.

"So what the hell happened?" Spike demanded. He joined his girlfriend and old friend on the sofa. 

"It wasn't a tattoo," Buffy sighed. Their long night was getting even longer. Both men waited for more. "It's a prophecy. She's had one before."

"What, they just appear on her skin?" Angel asked, puzzled. He'd never run across anything like that in his many long years. 

"Does she know what it means?" Spike asked, intrigued. He'd caught a glimpse of it, thinking that it suited the woman. 

"I don't think so," Buffy sighed and leaned her head on Spike's shoulder. "But it looked really familiar for some reason." She sat up and glanced over at the kitchen counter. "Oh, I took pictures of it. If we can hook up to the computer, we can have a look at this."

"Ah, and here I was thinkin' you were doin' somethin' kinky in there, luv," Spike chuckled, waggling his eyebrows at her. Buffy lightly slapped his stomach.

"You wish," she smiled. Spike licked his lips and she giggled. "Cut it out." Angel stood abruptly and stalked to the counter. He picked up the camera and carried it over to his desk, where a computer sat. He placed himself in the seat and switched the computer on. Buffy and Spike pulled up stools behind him and between the three of them, they figured out how to attach the camera so that they could retrieve and enlarge the pictures. 

Max stayed in the shower longer than she felt she should have. Especially since the others needed the same facility. But once she was toweled off and into the borrowed clothes, she felt ready to face them. She was glad that Buffy hadn't commented on the smashed mirror. But she knew she'd have to confess to Angel and pay to replace it. But then, anyone would understand. It was a freaky thing to see your body being turned into a jumbo-tron, again. She tugged at the cuffs of the sweat pants Buffy had lent her. Her legs were a good five inches longer than the petite slayer, but she wasn't going to complain. After a quick towel drying on her hair, she left it loose and padded out to the living room on silent bare feet.

The small group had just gotten the images to come up. The first one they saw was an overview of the prophecy. Max stole up behind them and saw the entire damage. She was about to say something, but instead looked at Buffy. "Buffy?" The men turned to look at the blonde as well. She was staring straight ahead, her mouth slightly agape. 

Buffy had seen the first picture and it tugged at her memory. She'd glanced up and absently took in Angel's desk, until her gaze fell on the pencil holder. There was only one remaining and it suddenly hit her. She knew exactly where she'd seen it before. She had a perfect memory of sitting at Jenny Calendar's desk as Willow tried to tutor her. The pencil had rolled off the desk, she retrieved it. Déjà vu tugged at her and she allowed the pencil to fall again. She'd found the computer disk, given it to Willow and they'd opened it up. It was the last thing Jenny had done for them. 

"It's Angel's curse," she whispered.


	12. To Curse Anew

Chapter Twelve

To Curse Anew

Everyone turned to stare at Buffy after she'd whispered her announcement. She slowly blinked and leaned closer to the computer screen that held the image. It was just as it had appeared to her and Willow on the computer screen. Not translated of course, it was still in Romanian. It also seemed a little longer than she remembered. But then, that fist time, she'd been focused on the translated text. 

"Angel has a curse?" Max asked, puzzled. She was dealing with fresh territory here, no matter her previous dealings with prophecy. Now she had curses to deal with. 

"The curse is how I got my soul," he explained in a low voice. He knew that she was aware of his soul, but he'd never explained to her how he came by it. "Over ninety years ago, I killed a Gypsy. Her family cursed me with my soul, so that I would never forget the people I hurt, or killed." He turned back to the computer screen, not wanting to see the disgust in her eyes. He was surprised to hear her chuckle.

"The gift that keeps on giving," she smiled, reaching out to squeeze his shoulder. He glanced up at her, startled that she took it in and just accepted. Buffy and Spike watched them, feeling a little better seeing the two connecting. They both had worried over Angel's pain at their being together. Well, not so much Spike, but he was surprised to find that he had a little kindness in his heart to the old poofter. Of course, his cynical nature and gift for seeing to the heart of matters had never left him. He felt compelled to set limits before anything got out of hand. As he and Buffy had seen first hand.

"Better tell her the whole of it mate," he warned. Angel shot him a dark glance, but Spike just ignored it. 

"Tell me what?"

Angel sighed. "There's part of the curse that says if I experience one moment of true happiness, I'll lose my soul again."

"Ouch, that bites," Max quipped. She wasn't really sure how to deal with that bit of information. "No wonder you brood so much." Buffy and Spike, seeing the truth in that snorted with laughter. Angel furrowed his brow at them.

"It's not funny," he admonished them. Buffy kept giggling.

"Well, you know you do brood a lot," she tittered. "I'm sorry, it just struck me as funny all of a sudden. I mean, if you can't laugh, you'll go mad." Angel stared at her, helpless against her mirth. He tried to keep his stern countenance, but after looking at the giggling Spike, his former Childe, he couldn't help himself. There was a big cosmic joke played on him and Buffy was right. His frown slipped a little and before he knew it, he was roaring with laughter. He laughed so hard that a single tear slipped from his eye and rolled down his cheek. Buffy had stopped laughing and was shaking her head.

"Okay, it's not that funny mate," Spike growled. It unnerved him to see Angel laugh that hard. It just wasn't in the vampire's nature. Angel finally began to calm down and managed to get himself under control. They turned their attention back to the computer as Buffy scrolled through the other pictures she had taken. He still chuckled every few minutes, but they didn't comment. Buffy tried to keep her attention on the screen, not wanting to fall prey to laughing hysteria herself. But something caught her eye, grabbing her completely.

"Look!" she yelped excitedly, pointing at the screen. She was looking at one of the pictures of Max's lower back. There had been a break, very slight, where skin showed through and then more writing. "I knew it!" she sat back, a satisfied smirk on her face. 

"What is it luv?" Spike leaned over her to see better. Angel and Max were looking just as confused. 

"When I first saw the whole thing, I thought it looked longer than the original curse that Jenny had," Buffy explained. "I was right. There's more. That spot doesn't look at all familiar to me." She turned to Max. "I wonder what it means."

"Don't look at me," Max shook her head. "I'm just the messenger."

"Wait," Angel turned to her as well. "Buffy said that this happened to you before. What was the other prophecy?" Max turned pale and he reached out a hand to support her. "Max, what is it?"

"It was bad," she whispered. Angel rose and led her to the couch. She sank into it gratefully. He seated himself on his coffee table, before her. "I remember what the prophecy said. But I don't…I can't-!"

"You can't what?" he asked gently. There was a myriad of pain and confusion in her eyes. Angel had the wild impression that it was what people saw when they looked at him. 

" I don't remember what I did…for the prophecy."

"Can you tell us what the prophecy said?" Buffy asked as she and Spike joined the pair. 

Max swallowed hard. It was something she alternately obsessed over and tried to forget about. She looked down at her lap. "We translated it as best we could. It was hard, took a long time. But Logan finally found the key to it." She swallowed again. Saying Logan's name brought up feelings of yearning that she hadn't quite gotten over yet. "It said 'When the shroud of darkness covers the land, the one whose power is hidden shall deliver us all'."

"What the hell does that mean?" Spike snorted. Max glanced up at him, biting her lip. Buffy gave him a silencing look. 

"I have a question," Max sighed. If she was going to trust, and that was a big step for her, it was now or never. "What do you think about time travel? And other dimensions?" To her surprise, all three relaxed slightly, exchanging grins. 

"We've had some experience in that area," Angel answered. "Not that it was really all that pleasant in most cases. But we're not unbelievers."

"Yeah, we have dealt with a lot of interesting things," Buffy nodded, drawing out her words. "So what's your story?" Max leaned back and sighed, wondering how much information to give them.

"You'd better tell us everything," Angel advised. He wasn't sure if it was his desire to learn what he could of her because of what he felt for her or to avert a coming apocalypse. 

"I don't know if I can," Max admitted. She wanted to. She wanted to tell him everything. She wanted to be the one to trust him enough to spill all the gory details of her life before he forced her to. She'd never had that before. Everyone, who had ever known about her in her previous life, found out because she'd been forced to reveal something unique, unlike other humans and was better off knowing the truth. Or they'd been a super hacker with a thirst for knowledge, like Logan. She sat up and looked straight into Angel's eyes. She wanted to do this, she needed to. 

"I suppose the first thing you should know is that I was born in 1999."


	13. The Story Of A Lifetime

Chapter Thirteen

The Story Of A Lifetime

Shocked faces met Max's first statement. Suddenly Spike burst out laughing. He pointed at Angel and almost fell out of his seat laughing so hard. He squeezed his eyes shut as the group glared at him. "1999?" He shrieked. "Angel the cradle robber!" Angel sighed and ran a hand over his face. 

"Shut up Spike," both he and Buffy told the bleached blonde. Spike just grinned at them. They turned back to Max, ignoring the man. 

"I meant in my time line," she clarified. "Crap, this is tough. Can you just listen, let me tell you everything? Then we can laugh or whatever." Angel and Buffy nodded and after some fearful glares from Buffy, Spike calmed down and nodded as well. 

"Okay, I was born in 1999, I don't know the month or day, just the year. I always add a year to my age at New Year's, just to keep track." She took a deep breath and plunged in. "I was born in a military compound outside of Gilette Wyoming. The place was called Manticore. Obviously I don't remember it as a baby and it took me a long time to remember the early years, once I was older. I had to piece things together. The purpose of Manticore was to create a line of perfect soldiers." Both Buffy and Spike hissed when she said that. They still remembered the Initiative that tried something very similar. 

"So along those lines, Manticore started before birth," Max continued. "They found pregnant girls, runaways mostly. They did experiments with recombinant DNA. Soon, they had perfected things enough that they were getting the desired results. I'm part of the X-5 series. I remember that when we were kids, we tried to figure out what DNA we had each been given. We all got feline DNA. It made it so we had highly developed agility, sight, strength, speed, and all the good stuff. But there were other mixes. Jondy and I also figured that we received shark DNA, just from the fact that we required little to no sleep." She grinned up at them. She turned to Buffy. "When you first said my tattoo, I thought you meant this one." She turned and lifted her hair so that the other woman could see the barcode present there. "It's not a tattoo per se. It was encoded in my genome before I was born. We all had them, except for Joshua. He was the first." She paused as Joshua's loving features rose before her. She could almost hear his words, hear him lovingly calling her little fella as he always did. 

"Anyway," she continued on. "We grew up in the facility. We were trained everyday as soldiers. We learned tactics, fighting skills, everything they could think of." She saw Angel with a question in his eyes. "The whole purpose of the perfect soldier was bound up in Colonel Donald Lydecker." The others noticed how she almost spat the name. No one doubted the strength of her animosity of the man. "He wanted to instead of sending in one thousand soldiers and losing one hundred, send in ten and lose none."

"I take it you didn't agree?" Angel asked gently. His mind was reeling with the number of admissions coming his way. 

"As a kid," she began, then took a deep breath. "When we were kids, we thought this was normal. We didn't know any better. We thought that that was the way the world was, how kids grew up. Everyone around us were soldiers. I remember the first time we saw a balloon. It was red, shiny, floating down to land in the tree. I was just amazed by this strange pretty thing. I wanted it, so Zack climbed up into the tree to get it. But before he grabbed it, Lydecker showed up and shot it. He yelled at us, telling us that the next soldier caught with contraband items would be thrown in solitary."

"How old were you?" Buffy whispered.

"We were eight," Max admitted. Knowing how life should have been, she saw how abhorrent the behavior appeared to others. 

"Oh my God," Buffy groaned. "That's just…" Angel shook his head at her. He knew then that they had to be silent. Let Max get through this and then they could grieve for the child's losses.

"Things got worse after that," Max continued after a moment. "We started thinking that there were other things in the world, and we wanted to know what they were. But anyone asking was punished. I think the last straw for us was the experiments." She waited for an interruption, but none came. "The doctors there, would break our legs, to see how quick our healing factor was. They'd put all sorts of viruses in our systems, to see how well we could fight them off. But the worst was the seizures. We all had them. It was one of the side effects from the recombinant DNA. They were trying to fix it. They found out through trial and error that tryptophan would control the mild seizures. But if they progressed, the brain would eventually swell and burst. One night, my brother Jack, started to seize." Her voice broke a little as she named her friend and sibling. "It was horrible to watch, knowing we couldn't do anything to help. We weren't allowed to call for help. Barracks rules stated that we weren't allowed out of bed until role call. So we sat and watched Jack seizing most of the night. We should have called for help, demanded it, but we didn't. We were just kids and we had this secret fear that if they discovered our seizures, we'd be thrown into the dungeons, with the 'Nomlies. Ben used to tell us that the Nomlies would tear our hearts out and eat them and then we'd be just as crazy, just as insane as they were. And we didn't want that for Jack."

No one noticed Spike, shaking in his seat. He remembered everything the Initiative had done to him while in their captivity. But he felt he was going to be sick. They were bloody kids. No one should ever be forced to endure that, especially kids who couldn't fight back. 

"But someone must have noticed," Max continued, heaving a sigh. "Two guards came. We heard them and scrambled back into bed. They came for Jack and dragged him out of the barracks. I was so scared about where they were taking him, but I couldn't let him go alone, so I followed them. They took him to the medical wing. I remember looking in through the door to see what was happening." She took a big breath and the words began to rush out, tumbling over each other, as if by saying it swiftly, it would hurt less. It was a futile hope, as nothing could erase the pain. "The doctors had put him on an examination table. They'd cut him open, to see how his body was reacting to the seizure. They studied him and watched as he died. And Lydecker was there, calmly drinking his coffee, just as if he were watching something on the television. Just sipping his coffee, his hands covered in Jack's blood. He hadn't even bothered to wipe it off, just drinking his coffee, not a God damn care in the world!" She screamed the last and before she could react, Angel's arms were around her and she was sobbing into his chest. All the times she'd never been able to cry out her pain erupted from her now. She barely noticed Angel's hands stroking her back, or Buffy's stroking her hair. She didn't notice their quiet sobs as they grieved with her.

She finally pushed Angel away, gently. She looked up at him. "I have to finish," she told him. He nodded and sat back. "After that, I returned to the barracks. I told everyone what happened. We decided that we needed to get out, get away from them. So the next day, we planned. It was simple, we were so simple. We knocked out the guards and took their guns. We ran down the hallway, Eva in the lead. We just planned to demand that they let us go, but before we could make that demand, I started to seize. Lydecker came and saw what was happening to me. He had other ideas. He told them to return to barracks and for the guards to take me. But Eva had the gun, I remember watching her lift it up, aimed at Lydecker. The bastard just shot my sister, through the heart. She was trying to keep them from taking me and it got her killed Then Lydecker told us to return to bed and he'd forget our little rebellion. We stood there for a moment. And I remember Zack squeezed my arm. We all turned and before they could react, we jumped through the window. Just crashed through. We were only on the second floor. We split up as soon as we hit the ground and made for the perimeter. We climbed the fence as the Army mobilized to go after us. I remember being shot at, but I was too fast. I ended up on a stream that had frozen over. One of the bullets broke the ice underneath me and I fell in. It was so cold that the ice reformed a little on the surface. I could hear the soldiers decide that no one could survive the temperature, so they took off to report in. Once I was sure that they were gone, I broke the ice and took off again."

"Bloody hell," Spike murmured, still shaking in his shock. Buffy rested a hand on his knee, understanding his reaction. She was experiencing something similar.

"I made it to the road, and was going to hide, but a car pulled up beside me. It was Hannah Sukova, one of the doctors from Manticore. She told me to get in. I did. I think I was under the impression that if she took me back to Manticore, I would knock her out and take the car. I was only ten, but I knew how to operate vehicles. But she didn't. She took me to her cabin. She gave me a blanket and told me to warm up. She left the room and I left. I think I was scared that she'd call Lydecker. We were always taught to keep moving that no place was safe. So I ran." She rose from her seat. She got herself a glass of water before continuing. 

"That was in 2009," she explained, a little calmer, now that she was moving about. "A few months after we escaped from Manticore, some terrorists set off a bomb on the East Coast. It knocked out all the computers and basically reduced America to a third world country. It was easy to disappear. I went through foster care families like tissue. Usually running away after a few months so that they couldn't keep me in the system. When I was sixteen, I found a job to support myself. I eventually ended up in Seattle. I got a job as a messenger for Jam Pony bike messengers. I had an apartment in a burned out warehouse with a roommate named Kendra. Life was good. But I couldn't forget my brothers and sisters. So, I began to search for them. But it was expensive. So I started stealing from the rich. They acted like nothing bad had happened. They were still having champagne parties, driving fast cars and looking down their noses on the masses, struggling just to feed their kids once a day. So I didn't feel guilty about it." She grinned at Spike, when a momentary smile flashed on his face. It was a similar philosophy to his own.

"That's how Logan Cale found me," she told them with a chuckle, noting Angel's stunned expression as he recalled her conversation with Jonas Cale, Logan's uncle, earlier that evening. "I broke into his apartment to pick up some art I could fence and whatever else I could find. I didn't really count on the security that he had hired. See he was a cyber-journalist with too much time and money. His MO was to gather as much info as possible, then expose the scum on television. The cops were corrupt, but there were a few to be counted on. Anyhow, the current scandal he was working on was the Mayor. Steckler had let this scumbucket Sonrisa, buy up all the cortodiazapine used to treat Balkan war veterans and sell it on the black market. They put placebos in the stuff given to the vets. Logan had discovered this and found a woman, Lauren, willing to testify abut this. She oversaw the procedures. Logan was protecting her and her daughter Sophie. I broke in and scared the hell out of them, because they thought I was after them. So this bodyguard runs in, I overpower him and got the hell out of Dodge. But Logan was intrigued by my skills. He tracked me down and threatened to expose me if I didn't help him. I told him to get lost and walked away. He then offered to help me find the others. I told him no. But when I got home that night, I found out that my friend Theo, who was one of the vets on cortodiazapene, had died. Then, it was on the news that Logan had been shot while trying to protect Sophie. Lauren got away, but Sonrisa's men had Sophie. It really got to me, that I could have protected them, but I didn't. So long story short, I figured out a plan and got Sophie back to Lauren. Logan was paralyzed, but alive. So when he asked me again, we made a deal. I would work for him when needed and he would research the others. Twelve of us made it out that night." She sighed, her throat tightening. She'd been talking so much; it was starting to hurt. But she needed to finish. 

"So we worked together when we could, some bumps along the way. Zack managed to catch up with me. But he killed my other informant. The cops came after me, but Zack admitted to it and Lydecker sent soldiers to pick him up. That night, it was on the news that the military transport had crashed and there were no survivors. We kept searching for the others. A few months after, I got a phone call from Zack. He'd been taken back to Manticore where they tortured him to find out where the others were. He didn't break, just made himself forget the information. He got out again, but he remembered me. I went to get him clear, but they'd implanted a hearing device in his ear. They heard us talking about where the others were, as he began to remember. We made it back to Logan's place and Zack was just crazy over the fact that he hadn't protected our siblings. Logan came up with a plan to warn them. He set up his Streaming Freedom television hack and exposed the X-5's before the Army could get them. They all got out, except for Tinga. She was in Portland. So we headed over there and got her out. She and Zack headed for Canada, but I decided to stay behind. To help Logan. A few months later, I found out that Tinga had a family that was searching for her. They put out a missing person's ad, the worst thing they could have done. I tried to warn Charlie, her husband, to take their son and run, but he didn't believe me. So I went to Portland to rescue them. Tinga returned and we managed to get them out. But we discovered that Lydecker had gotten to Case first. He'd put a virus in Case's system that we couldn't fix. So we made a deal, Tinga for the cure." Max felt close to breaking again, but she knew that she had to get through it all. "They tried to get both of them, but Zack and I fought them off and got Case back. They took Tinga and disappeared. We got Charlie and Case out of the country. And things settled down. Of course other things happened. I ended up with a little piece of metal in my neck, basically revved me up even more, but my system couldn't handle it, damn near killed me. But it was made of a certain alloy and they were able to track me. So, the night that Zack returned to tell us that he'd found Tinga, the enemy found me. They tracked us to the silo compound where Tinga was being held. But when we broke in, Tinga was already dead. I couldn't get out and Lydecker found me. They knocked me out and took me away. I ended up in a hotel room, chained to the bed, with Lydecker sitting by me, an entire bottle of whiskey in his system." She heard Angel growl, but kept talking. "He told me about how they tracked the implant and told me that the new director of the company, Renfro, was after me. He offered to kill me rather than let her get me. I managed to kick the gun from his hand. I could hear them coming, so I convinced him to let me go and we ran. I found out where Logan and Zack were and we headed there. Zack had called in Syl and Krit. And that's when we decided to take down Manticore. Lydecker told us about how after our first escape, they almost shut the place down, and funding began to disappear. So the plan was to blow up the DNA lab, to prevent them being able to continue making new soldiers. So we got in and did exactly that. Only problem was that Zack was shot and-!"

"You were shot too," Buffy realized in an instant. Now she knew where the scars had come from. Max nodded.

"I didn't know until after how it went down. All I remember is that my younger counterpart shot me and left me for dead. Logan found me, he told me it would be okay, but then I was gone. I woke up later in the infirmary, inside Manticore. Renfro was there. I was chained to the hospital bed. She told me that Zack had sacrificed himself for me. I didn't want to believe her, but it was exactly the sort of thing he'd do. I found out later that when we were in the ER, they told Renfro that my heart was too badly damaged to repair and that they had nothing to transplant. So they were going to prep me for organ harvest. Zack snapped. He got loose and grabbed Renfro, threatening to kill her unless the doctors brought me back. She made it clear that only an X-5 heart would work. So he shot himself in the head, so I could have his heart." Buffy was openly sobbing by this point, remembering how she had given her own life once to save her sister and the world. They were all quiet for a moment, in respect for the loving warrior they did not know, but whom Max had loved dearly. 

"I was at Manticore for four months as they tried to brainwash me. I played along, but when they sent Alec to rape and impregnate me, I knew I had to get out. Joshua showed me how and I was gone. I went back to Seattle. Logan just about died when I showed up at his apartment. We were so happy to see each other. Until I discovered Renfro's little revenge. She wanted to punish him for helping us. So, when they did the procedure to cure my seizures, she had the doctors put in a little extra surprise. Basically, I was poison to Logan. Any skin to skin contact would kill him. So that really wrecked any relationship we hoped to have. I concentrated then on helping any Manticore runaways I found and I eventually went back and freed everyone. Ames White replaced Renfro and he came with all sorts of schemes to get us back. Or kill us, whatever his whim was at the moment. So his big plan was to expose us to the world, playing on people's fear and prejudices. We became hunted. We formed underground movements to help get our people safe and clear. It was at that time that we discovered that White wasn't working for the government. He was working for a religious cult that was looking to eradicate normal humans. They had a group of elite fighters, known as the phalanx. We found out that White had a son, ready to join the cult. The boy's mother just wanted her son safe. I went after him and was caught. They injected something in my system that was supposed to kill me. But it didn't. It prepared me. I found out that it wasn't Lydecker who'd dreamed up the entire DNA scheme. It was a man by the name of Sandeman. Joshua's father. Apparently, Sandeman had inserted something in my genome to prepare for this day. That's when the first prophecy appeared. Like I said, it took us a while to translate. We kept up the good fight and discovered that the cult wanted me dead. Apparently, I was the only salvation for humankind."

"I know how that feels," Buffy chuckled. 

"So when Gem and Dalton came to us for sanctuary, a pregnant X-5 and X-6, they ended up in a hostage situation at Jam Pony, where I still worked. Gem was in labor and I went in. We negotiated with the police to get ourselves out, but White interfered and my friend Cece was killed. We retreated into the office. Gem was too close to giving birth and we knew that we didn't have much time to get to safety. Logan had translated the prophecy. And that's when I heard them. Well, felt them more like it. The Phalanx was coming for us. I herded everyone, all the hostages upstairs and we got ready to attack. It was just Joshua, Alec, Mole, Logan and I. But we took them down. White was there and Joshua tried to kill him for killing his girlfriend Annie. But I convinced him to stop. We knew that if we killed a human, the people would never stop hunting us. Gem's baby was born during all that, a little girl. But we still had to get out. So we tied up the Phalanx members took their uniforms and walked out. Joshua, Dalton, Gem, Mole and I pretending to be prisoners. We headed for our base, but the cops caught on and followed us to Terminal City. They had us surrounded, but they didn't count on there being over two hundred mutants there to take them on. They left us in peace, for then. And we decided that we had to make a stand. It was humans that made us what we were and they had to accept the consequences of what the government they elected had done."

"Heavy stuff," Angel commented with a small smile on his face. 

"Almost done," Max sighed. "We continued to research the prophecy. Logan figured that something bad, like biblically bad was going to happen and I would be the one to stop it. We needed more information and decided to go to the source. Sandeman put it in my cells, so we figured he had the answers. My new mission was to track him down. I finally found him, but it was too late. He was dying. He died before he could tell me what was coming, what I had to do. And that's all I remember. I mean, I have the feeling that I stopped whatever apocalypse was coming. But I don't know how. The only thing I remember after that was pain, then blinding light. Then I woke up in the chamber."

The other three who had been listening stared at one another. It was a story unlike any other, but bits and pieces were so similar to their own tragedies and lives. They all knew. It was the truth. The truth of Max.


	14. Deciding

Chapter Fourteen

Deciding

The whole group sat in silence after Max had finished her story. They contemplated all the information she'd related. Turning it over slowly in their minds. Seeing how it related to their own. For Buffy, she could empathize with Max. She was the Chosen One, destined to die, death was her gift. And she'd proved it many times. She'd also sacrificed herself to save the people she loved. And she knew what it had been like to be forced to be away from the one person she loved most. And like Max, she had a family that she loved and would do anything to protect. 

Spike centered mostly on one thing. The Initiative. They'd captured him as a vampire and performed experiments on him. Ultimately, they'd leashed him and all his abilities. Turning him into a vestige of his former self, until he was forced to rely on others to save him. He'd been caged. And that's what Max was. Caged in physical terms as a child, and caged as an adult. He could easily see how she'd have to hide herself from the world, never able to reveal what she was, lest she was thrown back in the cage, or worse, killed. 

Angel was hurting worst of all, having a connection with Max as he did. He knew what it was like to be a danger to someone he loved. At least he'd been able to touch Buffy. To hold her in his arms, even if it was heartbreaking to stop. It was endurable. That was what bothered him most for Max's sake. The utter aloneness in her. He recognized it immediately. He'd suffered it as well. Finally, Buffy spoke, breaking the silence with an important question.

"So, do you think you were sent back in time to prevent something from happening?" she asked the other woman. Max sighed and shook her head. She addressed Angel.

"Do you remember that little trip I went on?" she asked. He nodded. "Well, I went to Wyoming. Back to where Manticore should have been. It wasn't there. It's all farmland. I did a lot of searching, for various things. I was able to find out that Lydecker was dead; there's no Cale family business. Hannah Sukova is in Europe and she's not even a doctor. That's why I believe that I jumped a dimension, or something." They all nodded. They'd seen it before.

"So that begs the question," Spike mused. "Why are you here?"

"It must have something to do with Angel," Buffy thoughtfully spoke. "I mean, obviously, since it's his curse on your back. We just need to figure out what that extra part means."

"You know," Angel leaned back, staring thoughtfully at Max. "You didn't know who your parents were. Maybe you were part of the Gypsy family that originally cursed me."

"With my DNA mix," Max sighed, flopping back into the couch, "I could be related to all of you and not know it."

"We need to call Giles," Buffy decided forcefully. She stood and made her way to the phone. "Do you mind Angel?"

"Go ahead," he allowed. As Buffy dug her address book out of her purse, she elaborated.

"Even though the Watcher's council is gone, Giles has been routing out their resources," she explained. "He's got the most extensive library. And if he can't translate for us, he'll probably know someone who can." She dialed his number and waited for him to pick up.

Giles was busy packing for his trip when the phone rang. He was ready to return to America for a brief trip to scout out locations for a Slayer training school. He'd already checked out areas in Europe and contacted some useful people to help him try to repair the damage. He threw down a carefully folded shirt, as the shrill sound of the telephone penetrated his concentration. He lifted the receiver, wondering who could be calling.

"Hello?" he asked in his clipped British accent. 

"Hey Giles, it's me," came the lovely young voice that he knew so well. 

"Buffy!" he smiled. "It's good to hear from you. How are you?"

"I'm doing good Giles," she smiled as well. "The reason that I'm calling is that we've found another prophecy, of sorts, and we were wondering if you'd be able to help translate it."

"Well, I, I suppose I could see what I could do," he stammered. 

"Well, we have copies of it on a digital camera, and can send you a picture of it over email-!" she started to say before he cursed.

"Damn, I'll not use that dread machine," he swore. "Look, Buffy, I have a business trip planned to America. So why don't I take some time and stop in wherever you are and have a look?"

"You were coming over and you weren't going to tell me?" she teased. She'd long gotten over their separate lives. 

"Well, I wasn't sure where you were at, so I didn't want to disappoint you."

"Well, we're in LA, Spike and I," Buffy told him.

"Excellent," Giles cried. "That's my first stop. I'll be leaving for the airport in an hour. Is there any books I should bring?"

"Knowing you Giles, you've already packed half your library," she teased again. "We're staying at Angel's. Actually, it looks like the prophecy has to do with that Romanian curse of his. So anything relevant you might have. It seems that something has been added that we weren't aware of."

"All r-right," Giles thought for a moment. "I've managed to get my hands on some old Romanian texts that were partially translated. Why don't you call Willow as well? She may be able to create the translation program like Jenny used." He choked a little on that name, even though her death had been so long ago. "And then we can go from there."

"All right Giles, I'll do that," Buffy assured him. "I can't wait to see you."

"You too Buffy, goodbye."

"Bye." The phone clicked and went dead. Giles hung up and turned his attention back to packing. It was odd, but when Buffy had mentioned Angel's curse, he'd felt a strange little surge run through his system. He paused for a moment as he recalled a picture he kept in his nightstand drawer. He sat on the bedside and slowly pulled out the framed picture. It was of Jenny, smiling benignly up at the camera. He brushed a soft finger over her familiar face. He sighed and removed his glasses. "Oh Jenny, what now?"


	15. Plan Of Attack

Chapter Fifteen

Plan Of Attack

"Okay," Buffy announced to the others. "Giles is on his way already. He'll be stopping in LA first. He wants us to get hold of Willow, so she can help." The others nodded and she turned to call her best friend. 

"So what's the Watcher's council?" Max asked Spike. He grimaced.

"Bunch of rotten no good sods, if you ask me," he replied. Angel sighed. Spike, all of them actually really didn't like the council when it existed. 

"The Watcher's were a group dedicated to helping the Slayer," he told the woman. "Unfortunately, their methods and ways were as antiquated as some of the members. They were all killed, but for a few. Giles belonged to the organization, but he quit after they mistreated Buffy. She got his job back once she pounded a few things into their heads. But now it's no more." Max nodded. It was another similarity between her life and theirs. Except hers was a sanctioned part of the government, not a secret organization. 

"Okay," Buffy returned to the couch after completing her second call. "I've contacted Willow. She'll be here as soon as she can. Giles was getting ready to leave for the airport, so he should be here in the afternoon. Stupid time changy thing," she muttered the last under her breath. She still couldn't figure out how the idiots in charge figured that out. She shook her head. It wasn't the time to worry about such things. "So then we can get to work on the prophecy."

"I wonder if we should call Xander so he can bring over some junk food," Spike teased. It was traditionally Xander's role in their odd little family. Buffy smiled at him. 

"Well, I suppose we should get some sleep until then," Angel offered. "It's been a long night. Spike, Buffy, just go ahead and choose one of the rooms upstairs. Max, can I give you a ride home, or would you prefer to stay?"

"I think I need a little time alone, if you don't mind," she sighed. Angel nodded once.

"Home it is then," he grinned at her tiredly. They stood and Max gathered up her belongings. Spike and Buffy said goodnight and they were out the door. Angel led her to his black convertible and held the door open for her. She sank in gratefully. He moved around to the driver's side. They were on their way for a few minutes before either spoke. 

"I just wanted to say thank you," Max began quietly. "I've never really found anyone willing to believe what my life has been, just from my telling it like it is." Angel glanced at her shuttered expression and slid his hand over to her. He picked up her hand and squeezed lightly. 

"We all need a friend sometime," he spoke as softly as she had. "There's been a lot of times in my life when I needed one and didn't realize it." She grinned up at him. 

"So am I just another person to save in your quest for redemption?" she teased. Angel glanced at her again, suddenly hurt that he'd given her that impression. He waited until they'd reached a stop sign, so he could pull to a halt. He set the car to idle while he turned in his seat to face her.

"Max," he began seriously. You are a beautiful, giving woman that I have been given the honor to meet and get to know. And if I'm not at the moment, I hope one day in the future to be counted as a friend to you." Max gave him a thoughtful look and a half-smile.

"I think you already are," she offered. Angel lifted her hand and gently kissed the back of it before returning it to her lap. He put the car in drive and smoothly pulled away. He dropped her off at the apartment she shared with Cordy and he made his way back to the hotel. He was surprised to see Spike waiting in the lobby for him. He wasn't sure what his former Childe wanted from him. It was abundantly clear however that Spike wasn't all that comfortable either. 

"Anything wrong Spike?" Angel asked wearily. He was certain that he didn't want to have any number of conversations with the man. But it was to his surprise, what Spike said.

"She okay, mate?" Spike asked softly, referring to Max. Angel stared at the blonde, wondering when he'd developed a soft spot for the girl. 

"I think she will be," he replied, guardedly. Spike sighed, knowing that sharing with Angel, or the opposite would be like pulling teeth. 

"Hell of a life the poor kid's had," he commented next. Angel nodded his agreement. "I thought my life sucked at times." Spike trailed off, not knowing how to address the man he'd once been close to. Theirs was a complex relationship.

"Go ahead and get to the point Spike," Angel warned gently. Spike measured him carefully and then nodded. 

"I think, after we get this prophecy stuff taken care of, Buffy and I should hit the road," he muttered. He glanced at the darker man, gauging his reaction. 

"I think that might be for the best," Angel agreed. He stared at Spike for a moment, a slow, feral grin forming on his face. "Did you ask Buffy though? Because if there's one thing I've learned about her, you better ask."

"Yeah mate, you got that right," Spike laughed humorlessly. "Actually, we talked it over and we both think it's the best thing. But she doesn't want to leave if you're mad at her." It took a lot for Spike to admit that and Angel saw it right away. Despite the fact that he wished he could whisk Buffy away from the competition, he knew it would be pointless. He and Buffy would be right back where they had started. In love, but with no future together. He knew logically, that it was past time to let his dreams of the petite blonde Slayer go. But the difficulty was getting his heart to agree. 

"I'm not mad at her," Angel sighed. He rubbed a distracted hand over his forehead. "I'm mad that things turned out the way they did. But there's nothing I can do to change that. I just need some time to get used to things." Spike understood immediately.

"I suppose you can do that better with us gone," he replied. Angel shrugged.

"Spike, all I can tell you is this," he sighed. "Don't use me as a factor in your relationship. I left Buffy so that she could have a good life. I won't say normal now, because her life will always be anything but that. All I'm saying is that both of you need to make decisions that are best for you. Don't worry about me. I'll deal with things my way."

"All right mate," Spike nodded. It was the same thing he'd pointed out to his girlfriend and deep down, he always held this secret fear that she'd turn to Angel. But he now had his former Sire's assurances that he'd do nothing to interfere with them. It was the best he was going to get and was actually better than he hoped for. He wished Angel a good night and headed back up to his room. Buffy was waiting anxiously on the bed when Spike slipped into their room. She glanced up at him, knowing the mission he had been on.

"Well?" she asked expectantly. Spike kicked his boots off and made his way to the wide bed. He dropped down beside the love of his life and kissed her softly on the forehead.

"It's like I said pet," he murmured. "He just needs time to deal with things. He's not mad at us."

Buffy stared at him for a moment as she digested that. "Okay," she agreed. She turned her face up to his and he did his best to wipe the worry she felt over Angel from her mind. At least for a little while.


	16. The Accident

Chapter Sixteen

The Accident

Giles arrived at LAX, exhausted. He'd spent the last remaining time before his flight left trying to discover any new prophecies that might pertain to Angel. Then during the flight over, he'd tried to read up on any other pertaining information on the ensouled vampire and his Gypsy curse. He didn't sleep at all, wondering what they had to face now. He'd managed to get through the rigorous security measures easier than some of the other passengers. But that was probably due to the fact that he hadn't brought any of his weapons with him. Not in any recognizable form to the security team though. Holy water and crosses didn't interest them much.

So, with tired steps, he made his way to a long line of cabs. He climbed into one and settled his bag full of books beside him as the cabby resignedly moved to put the suitcase in the trunk. The squat, florid faced man climbed into the front and dutifully turned for the address. It was a mundane existence, but paid enough to keep the lazy man from finding other work. Didn't mean he had to enjoy it. Giles dutifully repeated the address for the Hyperion hotel and they were off. 

Giles mind wandered again, back to Jenny and the curse. He barely watched the scenery of the freeway pass by as he was taken into LA proper. He'd seen it all too many times over the last few years. It was just another city that the former Watcher would pass through on his way to something more important. His Slayer. He never saw the events leading up to the crash that nearly ended his life.

Angel had gotten up earlier than usual, wanting to get his day started so that when Giles arrived, they could get to the bottom of this mysterious curse. He heard movement above him and knew that the rest of his gang was up and about, just waiting for him to make an appearance. So, once he was showered, dressed and fed, he made his way up from his basement apartment. He wasn't surprised to see Buffy and Spike up as well. He knew that Buffy was eager to see her friend and mentor again. And he had the sneaking suspicion that even after the conversation that he and the blonde man had had the previous evening; Spike wasn't going to let Buffy out of his sight while they were in LA. 

"Any word yet?" he asked easily. Buffy glanced up at him from the cup of coffee that Cordelia had grudgingly provided and shook her head.

"Willow should be here soon with Kennedy," she explained. "And Giles flight should have landed. So he'll be here soon too." The rest of the group stood, feeling awkward. Buffy hadn't been sure what to tell them. After all, the subject of Angel's curse was a painful one for all of them in some way or another. The look Buffy gave the vampire informed him that it was up to him to explain. 

"So what's going on man?" Gunn questioned softly, not wanting to upset his friend. Angel shrugged. 

"Why don't you guys come with me and I'll explain," he decided, motioning them to his office. His group dutifully followed, leaving Buffy and Spike to sit in peace. Cordelia was the last in and shut the door firmly behind her. The reappearance of her former high school nemesis was a stumbling block to her plan, but she knew she'd have to deal with it later. She could tell that something big was going on.

Angel waited until everyone was seated before he began. "Last night, after we fought the demons, we discovered a new prophecy." He waited for that to sink in. The reactions were predictable. Interest flashed across their faces.

"Where did you find it?" Wesley asked. He knew that as usual, he'd probably be depended upon to research it. But the disclosure that Rupert Giles and Willow Rosenburg were also on their way gave credence to his belief that it was something major.

"Actually, that's the strange thing," Angel grimaced. "It appeared on Max's back. I don't know how, or why, but it did."

"Oh, Angel, I kind of already know all this," Cordy interrupted him. "Max told me last night."  


"She did?"

"Yeah," Cordy nodded. "She thinks it began to appear when you touched her at the banquet." She paused for a moment, wondering if she should explain or wait for her friend. But the knowledge wasn't really that secretive. "She was trying to think why it would appear last night when you've touched before. But then she recalled that that was the first time you've had skin to skin contact." Angel looked at her pensively. He did recall the tingling in his fingers when he'd spread his hand across her lower back to guide her to the dance floor. Any other times they'd accidentally touched; clothes had been in the way. 

"I think she might be right," Angel nodded. "When I was taking her to dance, I felt this tingling sensation and my hand was warm. She noticed that right away."

"Okay," Fred piped up. "We have the how, sort of, but now, why?"

Angel grimaced again and glanced up at Cordy, silently asking her. She nodded. "It's a copy of Angel's gypsy curse. But there's more to it this time."

"Well, that doesn't make any sense," Wes ground out thoughtfully. "I mean, you're already cursed. Why would the curse show up again?"

"You said there was more to it this time?" Gunn asked in general, knowing that he had heard correctly the first time. "What if there's another clause?"

Angel had been asking himself that as well. "If it is, then we don't know what might set me off again. Maybe you should all go until we get this figured out."

Gunn shook his head. "No man. The more people you got working on this, the quicker we can take care of it." Angel started to protest, but Wes interrupted.

"He's right," the British man agreed. "Besides, if this extra part is in the nature of your previous curse, then I think it would be something obscure like the clause. I don't think that it would be something as mundane as you greeting somebody good morning." Angel smiled at that. He should have known that his friends would be determined to stick by him. 

"All right," he finally agreed. "I guess we'll be making this our priority right now?"

"We'd better," Fred grinned. "We have enough big nasties to fight without you joining the other side again." She said it teasingly, but a little guilt and pain shot through Angel anyway. The others stood to go prepare for the research they knew was coming their way. Cordy stayed behind for a moment to deliver a message.

"Max had to work today," she informed her friend, stressing the other girl's name. "But she'll be by as soon as she's done."

"Okay, thanks," Angel smiled up at her. Cordy smiled back and slipped out the door, delighted to have seen the light return to the Vampire's eyes at her mention of Max. Suddenly, she wasn't as worried about Buffy as she'd been before.

After a quiet hour, Willow and Kennedy arrived. There were introductions of Willow's girlfriend. Once the duo found out that Giles hadn't arrived yet, they begged off the visiting. They'd had a long trip and were still tired. Buffy promised to get her friend when he arrived and Fred led the girls, to a room for their use. 

The afternoon seemed to drag on. Angel could see that Buffy was starting to become concerned. They had been expecting Giles between two and three in the afternoon. It was now almost six. And it was very unlike Giles not to call and let them know if he was going to be late. And of course, the people who didn't know Giles that well, were picking up on the apprehension of those that did know him. Willow and Kennedy had reappeared and were just as worried as everyone else. 

Cordy was about to suggest calling the airline to see if the flight had made it through all right, when she noticed her roommate's appearance. "Hey Max," she greeted quietly. Max made her way over, not noticing Angel watching her as she did.

"Hey Cordy," she smiled gently. "What's going on?"

"Giles hasn't arrived yet," Cordy chewed her lower lip, obviously worried. Max nodded, suddenly understanding. Cordy would have said more, but the phone rang. She pounced on it. "Giles! Is that you?"

"Oh, I guess I have the right place," a feminine voice answered. "Is this Mr. Giles residence?"

"No," Cordy squeaked, sudden fear taking hold. "What's going on?" she demanded.

"I'm sorry miss," the voice spoke softly. "Mr. Giles has been in an accident. Is there any possibility that I could talk to his next of kin?" Cordelia's hand came up to cover her mouth. Tears formed in her eyes at her assumption of what the woman was saying.

"I don't think he has any," she choked out. She scanned the room before her eyes fell on Buffy. "Just a moment." She covered the mouthpiece and held the phone out to the blonde woman. "Giles has been in an accident. They want to speak to his next of kin. They all knew that a long time ago, he'd listed Buffy as his person with power of attorney in case anything happened to him on American soil. Buffy hurried forward and took the phone. 

"This is Buffy Summers," she announced. "Is Giles all right?"

"Oh, Miss Summers," the voice was mildly surprised. The papers she'd found in the patient's bag had listed her as the one to call. But there'd been no current address or number to call. All there had been was a disconnected number from the little town of Sunnydale that had fallen prey to the meteor disaster some months ago. "This is Nurse Miller at LA General emergency room. Mr. Giles was in a car accident this afternoon. He's sustained some major injuries. The doctors have taken him to surgery. Is there any way, you can-!"

"I'll be right there!" Buffy told the woman. She was relieved that Giles was still alive, but a controlled panic set in. She just didn't know what she'd do if something happened to her mentor. She hung up the phone and turned to address the waiting throng. "Giles was in a car accident. He's in surgery right now, but we need to get to the hospital. At her words, the group galvanized into action. They immediately decided that only the ones that should go where the ones closest to him. That meant Fred, Gunn and Kennedy would stay behind. Angel would have to wait a little longer until the sun had set, but he was determined to go as well. There was a moment when Max declared her intentions to go were protested. 

"Look," the newcomer sighed "It may sound cold-blooded, but this man might have the answers to some of my problems. I want to make sure he lives to help me figure it out." Buffy would have protested but Cordy held her hand up. 

"She can ride with me," the tall brunette decided. 

They arrived quickly at the hospital and waited for Buffy to get information from the nurse at the information desk. Then they moved as one to the floor where surgery was located. Buffy again approached the desk only to discover that Giles was still in surgery. The nurse directed them to the waiting lounge and the group waited in silence until a doctor finally appeared. He conferred with the nurse for a moment, then approached the group.

"Buffy Summers?" he called. Buffy stood and made her way to him, Spike and Willow right beside her. 

"I'm she," she said softly. "How is Giles?"

"Well, Miss Summers," the doctor began quietly, noticing how the trio was all supporting one another. "Mr. Giles sustained serious damage to his upper body. One of his ribs broke and punctured his lung. They managed to re-inflate it in the ER. But he also sustained damage to his liver and his spleen. We went in, repaired the damage to his liver and removed his spleen."

"Was that all?" the redhead before him asked. She could see the hesitation in the doctor's eyes. He grimaced slightly before continuing.

"Well, Miss, unfortunately, there have been some thefts recently," he wasn't sure how to explain. "While Mr. Giles' blood type is not that abnormal, we are in short supply due to the thefts. We were able to make it through surgery, but his supply is severely depleted. We need to transfuse him as soon as possible to avoid further complications. We have more blood on the way from the blood bank of another hospital. Once that's done, I expect Mr. Giles to make a full recovery."

Buffy sagged in relief against her lover. "Oh thank God," she whispered, tearing up again. Willow nodded and thanked the doctor and then discussed the possibility of needing samples from the group. The doctor thanked her and directed Willow to a nurse so that whomever wanted to donate blood could. Suddenly, Buffy's eyes shot open as the other words the doctor had spoken impacted her. "Someone has been stealing blood?" She glanced up at Spike, both of them understanding what the doctor wasn't aware of. Stealing blood deliveries was an easy meal for vampires. But before they could act, Angel arrived, his face stony. He'd heard what the doctor was saying as he made his way to the lounge. 

"Buffy, I'm sorry," he shook his head. "They were waiting for it. I was outnumbered."

"What are you referring to young man?" the doctor asked, confused. Angel turned to address him.

"When I got here, some punks were stealing the blood delivery that I assume you were waiting for." The doctor began swearing under his breath. Then excused himself to make some phone calls to track down some more. No one noticed that Max had slipped silently from the room.

She snuck down the hallway, peering at charts until she found the one she was looking for. She hid herself as a nurse exited the room, then slid inside. She shut the door softly, then turned to get her first look at the man lying in the bed, pale and nearer to death than the others liked. She gasped as recognition flooded her. She crept closer to the bed to be sure. The face was no different than she last remembered it. She wanted to be sick that he was here now. But she had to remind herself that he wasn't the same person. It was just another freaky coincidence. She steeled herself and addressed the unconscious man hooked up to the various machines beeping softly around them as they monitored his condition.

"Well, you old bastard," she grunted. "I did it once before, I guess I can do it again. But this time, you are definitely answering my questions." With a quick glance to the door, Max quickly found what she would need. Before anyone could interfere, she had slid the intravenous needle into his vein in his arm and a matching one into her own. She sat on the stool near the bed and laid her head beside the man's arm as she watched her blood flowing, crimson, like wine, to a man she considered her enemy.


	17. Daddy Dearest

Chapter Seventeen

Daddy Dearest

Max floated in a dream, not unlike her first experience with person to person transfusion. The first time, it had been to save Logan's life. She'd dreamed that they'd been dancing together. This time, there were disjointed memories of the man before her from her childhood. Suddenly, pain flashed momentarily in her arm and as she came to, the blurry vision of a nurse came into being. 

"Security!" the woman yelled through the open door. She'd already yanked the offending needle from her patient's arm and Max's and now all her attention was on protecting him further. "Security!" she yelled again, a wary eye on the pale woman before her. 

"No," Max protested weakly. "I didn't hurt him," she mumbled. The room exploded into activity. The doctor raced in, two security guards hot on his heels. The doctor turned his attention to his patient, barely sparing Max a glance.

"Get her out of here!" he commanded them. They began to drag the stumbling woman out of the room. The others, who had been waiting for news had followed the doctor and were stunned to see Max. Angel and Spike recognized her condition immediately. They'd seen it enough times in their victims. She was half-dead from her blood being drained. She was protesting softly. Buffy, on the other hand, was furious. 

"What did you do?" she screamed at the fainting woman. Max's eyes fluttered back in her head and she finally succumbed. Angel pushed the guards' aside and swept her up in his arms. 

"Is there somewhere I can take her?" he asked the stupefied guards. They glanced at one another, not sure of the protocol to follow. One finally motioned to an empty room and Angel deposited her on the bed. Before he could say anything, on of the guards had handcuffed her to the bed to make sure she didn't escape. Cordelia had followed them.

"Is she okay? Angel what's wrong?" she demanded, her voice barely holding a shrill edge in her panic. Angel motioned her away from the guards standing beside the bed.

"I think she transfused her blood to Giles," he murmured. Cordy's eyes were confused for a moment. "Can you go get her some juice. She needs to replenish her blood. That's the quickest way."

"Of course," Cordy sighed. She hurried from the room. Angel turned back, determined to keep an eye on this enigma. 

Back in Giles room, the doctor and nurse were frantically monitoring their patient. "His blood pressure is normalizing," she commented. "Vitals are stable. He's breathing better and his color is up." The doctor nodded his own assessment. 

"I guess we won't be needing that blood right this second," he mused, wondering what on earth had possessed the dark haired woman to pull this stunt. He bent down to retrieve the tube that still had some of her blood in it. "Take this down to the lab and have them run a full panel on it. Check for everything. We need to make sure she hasn't contaminated the patient." The nurse nodded and carefully emptied the blood into a vial and made some notations on an order. The doctor signed it quickly and she exited the room. He turned when he heard the soft voices outside the room. 

"Is he okay?" Buffy asked. The doctor turned and ushered them away from the room.

"Mr. Giles is stable at the moment," he told her. "The blood she gave him helped. But unfortunately, we don't know if it was the right type, if there were any contaminants or disease. We need to keep Mr. Giles under supervision as he may have an adverse reaction. But at the moment, he's not in danger. I think it best if you all return to the waiting room. I'll update you as soon as we know more." Buffy nodded and turned to herd her friends back to their previous room. She glanced in the room where Angel and Max had disappeared. The doctor had also stopped there. She followed him in. She strode straight to the bed, kicking it in her anger to make the woman wake up. 

Slowly, her eyelids drifted upward. She could clearly see the anger and confusion in the eyes of the people before her. "If you've hurt Giles anymore, I will kill you," Buffy vowed vehemently. Angel threw her a disgusted look. 

"Young lady, do you realize what your rash action has done?" the doctor questioned sternly.

"I'm a universal donor," she murmured, knowing that even that news wouldn't allay their fears. 

"Be that as it may," the doctor growled, "there are proper channels and procedures to go through. Had you told me that, I would have allowed you to give a sample that we would have screened. Now, however, any toxins in your system, are now in Mr. Giles."

"Hey, give her a break," Angel interrupted. He was angry, with them all, irrationally angry. Was he the only one that saw that Max had almost killed herself to help a stranger? "She was trying to help."

"This doesn't concern you Angel," Buffy snapped at him. Angel grit his teeth, stopping any response he may have given. He knew that Buffy was scared for her friend, but that didn't give her the right to attack one of his. Cordy reappeared then, a large cup of juice in her hand. Ignoring the others, she made her way to Max's side. 

"Hey pal, drink up," she whispered, handing her the cup. Angel moved to her side to help her sit up and steady the cup as she shakily brought it to her lips. She drank deeply, as much as she could, then let Angel take the cup from her. She glanced down at her left wrist, still manacled to the bed. Angel noticed and turned to the doctor. 

"Could you have them uncuff her?" he demanded. "She's not a criminal."

"That remains to be seen," one of the guards murmured under his breath. Angel glared at him, having heard. The guard blushed under the intimidating stare coming his way, then looked to the doctor. The man nodded his head resignedly and the guard fumbled for his key. He unlocked Max in seconds, and with a sigh of relief, left the room to station himself outside.

Max rubbed her wrist, even though the cuffs hadn't been tight. It just brought back very painful memories of the last time she'd been chained up in a hospital. Her hand moved next to her chest as she unconsciously rubbed at her scar. "Can I go now?" she asked in general. 

"I think not," the doctor scoffed. "We still need to determine that you didn't harm Mr. Giles." Max nodded and reclined on the bed. Angel handed her the rest of her juice, never realizing that she was already making plans to escape. The doctor turned and Buffy followed him out the door, the rigid set to her shoulders letting them all know exactly how she felt. Angel turned back to see Max sipping the juice, relieved to note that already her hand was steadier. 

"So what were you thinking?" he asked gently. Max glanced away from him. He reached out and carefully grasped her chin, turning her face to him. "Max?"

"He was hurting," she whispered, unable to explain her actions fully. She still wasn't sure that she could trust them with more intimate knowledge of herself. They were used to super strength and superior fighting skills. But how would they react to the rest of her freakish abilities? In her tired and weakened state, all she could focus on was that her odd life was causing problems again. How could she explain the blood that ran through her that had regenerative factors? Something deep inside her was pressing at her, screaming at her to run. It didn't matter that she'd already shared so much of her life with them. Things were getting out of control again. "I thought it would help. Especially since they seem to keep losing whatever blood they do have around here."

"I can understand that," Angel conceded. "But why didn't you do like the doctor said?" There was no answer. He made the simple leap in logic. "There's something about your blood that you didn't want the doctor's to notice, isn't there?" He was sure he was right. When she'd been hurt the evening before, he could smell it. And to him, it was richer than average blood. In a way, it reminded him of Slayer blood. He knew how exotic and fulfilling it was to the Vampire. All the extras of the Slayer package were included in the blood. And he'd drunk from Buffy. Not by choice, but because his survival depended on it. But there was something elusive that he'd smelled in Max's blood. "Isn't there?" he repeated as she jerked her chin from his grasp.

"Yes," she whispered softly. Cordelia stepped forward, to Max's other side. 

"It won't hurt him, will it?" she asked, smiling at her friend confidently.

"No, it won't," Max assured her, unable to look at Angel. She wanted to reassure them and slipped a little. "It will just help him heal a little faster." Neither one said anything for a moment, before Angel leaned over and kissed the top of her head. She turned to him, confused.

"Thank you Max," he spoke sincerely. "Giles means a lot to us." He wondered why she couldn't tell him straight out, then decided it must be the result of the transfusion. He resolved to talk to her again once she was feeling a little more herself.

"And so do you," Cordelia stated emphatically. She hugged her tired roommate and took the cup from her. "I'll get you a refill, okay?" Max nodded and Cordy strode from the room after giving Angel a smile as well. He watched her walk away, then turned back to Max, catching her trying to smother a broad yawn.

"You should get some rest," he smirked. "I'll go." He moved away with one glance at the woman reclining on the bed. Her eyes were already shut, her chest rising and falling in a slow, steady pattern. He slipped out the door, ignoring the guard and made his way back to the waiting room. He never realized that the moment he was gone, that Max's eyes popped open and she slipped from the bed and was out the window, onto the fire escape before he ever made it back to his friends.

A scant hour later, the doctor was again conferring with the group of apprehensive friends when the nurse looked into the waiting room. "Doctor, he's waking up." The doctor smiled reassuringly at the group and strode from the room. He entered his patient's room, glad to see that the man's eyes were bright, clear and aware. 

"Mr. Giles," he exclaimed. "Good to see you awake. I'm Dr. Armstrong. You were brought into the ER this afternoon with some injuries sustained in a car accident. We had to operate, but you're going to be okay. Now, how do you say we get that pesky tube out of your throat?" Giles looked relieved when he said that and tried to nod. Pulling on some latex gloves, he gave instructions to Giles to facilitate the procedure. Within moments, the tube was disposed of as Giles coughed softly. The nurse checked him over and things looked good. 

"Remember, whisper only," she lectured Giles. He nodded again.

"What happened?" his voice was raspy, but that was to be expected.

"Well, Mr. Giles, the cab you were riding in, was sideswiped by a Mack truck that swerved to avoid another accident. Your vehicle rolled and collided with the barrier on the freeway." Giles nodded, various memories seeping back into his consciousness. "You sustained major injuries. You liver was damaged, as well as your spleen and a lung. We've managed to repair them all. You'll be in the hospital for a while as we monitor your condition." He deliberately left out the news of the blood problem. He would only bring it up if there seemed to be a problem. 

"The others?" Giles whispered.

"None of the others involved in the accidents received major injuries," the doctor smiled as Giles nodded in relief. "Everyone was doing okay." He paused. "The hospital contacted Miss Summers."

"Buffy's here?" Giles rasped in surprise.

"Yes," the doctor confirmed. "Her and a number of friends. I can let you see her for a moment, but no one else. You need your rest." Giles tried to smile, but he was still in some pain. "I'll go let her know." He left the room as the nurse prepared to give the patient some pain medication, explaining what it was and ensuring that he had no allergies to worry about.

Dr. Armstrong strode into the hall and found Buffy there. "If you'd like to see him, you may. But please, no more than five minutes." Buffy nodded and hurried into the room. She waited as the nurse finished administering the shot and watched her leave.

"Good God Giles," she laughed, the release of endorphins in her system suddenly making her shake. "You scared us. I'm so glad you're okay."

"Me too, Buffy," he grinned. "Me too."

"Did the doctor tell you everything?" Buffy asked suspiciously. Giles nodded. "About the blood too?" His startled look let her know that the doctor was trying to save his butt from a major lawsuit, "It looks like the hospital has been suffering from vamps ripping off their blood supply. They didn't have enough for you and had called for some from another hospital. But when Angel arrived, the vamps had already gotten ahold of it. So Max snuck in here and transfused her own blood-!"

"She did that for me?" Giles was shocked that the young woman would selflessly help a stranger like that.

"Don't make it sound like she cut off her right arm for you Giles," Buffy scoffed. Her features softened sadly, not liking what she had to tell him. "Max said she's a universal donor, but the doctor's are worried about contaminants."

"Well, I feel quite fine, actually," Giles grinned up at her. Buffy arched an eyebrow at him, then at the IV stand beside the bed.

"I think that's the morphine talking," she quipped. She smiled at his goofy expression, a tender wave of love rushing over her for this man that was more father to her than her real one. "Well, the doctor said only a couple minutes. So I better go. We'll be back first thing in the morning." Giles nodded and let his eyes shut as Buffy left the room. 

Two days later, the doctor approached Mr. Giles' room, perplexed by all the things that had happened the last few days. In his hand, he finally held some of the answers. The girl had disappeared from the hospital and from conversations snippets he'd overheard, hadn't been seen since by her friends. A source of worries, consternation and anger for them and him. He knocked on the patient's door and was called in. It was visiting time and Buffy, her young man, Spike, Willow, the redhead and the tall man; Angel was there, as well as Cordelia. He nodded to each of them, then addressed himself to the patient.

"Good evening Giles," he spoke warmly. "How are you tonight?"

"Wonderful," Giles spoke dryly. "How are you?"

"Well, now that I have some answers, I feel a little better," Dr. Armstrong sighed. He pulled a stool closer to his patient. He knew it was useless to ask the others to leave. They were the closest thing that Giles had to a family. "I just don't understand why no one saw fit to inform me that Max was your daughter."

"My what?!" Giles demanded, shocked at the doctor's words. The doctor saw this and the surprise on everyone else's faces.

"You didn't know?" Giles shook his head. 

"I don't have children," he denied.

"Well," Dr. Armstrong scratched his head philosophically. "I guess that would be why you didn't tell me."

"Are you sure?" Giles demanded, his head whirling. 

"We checked the DNA against yours," he assured the man. "That's why the tests took a while. You're a 97 percent match. Of course, there were other amazing factors."

"Wait a minute," Angel spoke up. "How did you get a sample of Max's blood?"

"Oh, there was some left in the tube from their transfusion," he informed them. Angel grit his teeth. He had been worried about Max, but he and Cordelia had agreed to keep her secrets from the others. Now this damn doctor had loused that up through his meddling. "We were all quite confused because you were healing so rapidly Giles. But then again, the answer was in Max's blood. We ran tests and she isn't pregnant, so she must have just had a child." He glanced around, noting the puzzled looks on everyone's' faces. "Well, it's the only answer that would explain the stem cells we found in her blood." He announced.

Suddenly Angel understood her reluctance to tell them. It was a big deal in the news over the past few years. Doctors and scientists debating the rights of whether to use blood from umbilical cords that contained stem cells from which children were created. If Max had been subject to experiments of that nature in her time, she would be subject to a lot of problems, possibly threats from people who wouldn't or refused to understand. He exchanged glances with Cordy. 

"She did have a baby," the brunette lied quickly. "But it didn't survive. She miscarried recently." No one noticed her crossing her fingers behind her back. The doctor just nodded his head.

"It's a very rare thing for a babies stem cells to cross to the mother," Dr. Armstrong mused. "In fact, I've never seen it happen. I'll have to research this a little more. Very strange," he murmured as he stood. He quickly turned his attention to Giles. "Well sir, it seems due to that fact, we'll be able to release you by the end of the week, if there are no more complications. Your blood work is good, no problems there. So, I guess that's it. I'll let you be then." He exited the room and there was a short stretch of silence, before Giles reacted.

"Bloody hell! I'm a father!"


	18. Meeting Her

Chapter Eighteen

Meeting Her

Max had been missing since the incident at the hospital. Cordy had been worried immediately when the girl had vanished. She'd returned with another cup of juice, but the only thing she found was an empty bed and an open window. She'd rushed to tell Angel, but he warned her not to say anything yet. He understood her need to run and hide herself away. When they'd left and Angel took Cordy home, it was evident that Max had taken some things with her and might be gone for a while. There was momentary concern about her weakened state, but they continued to tell themselves that Max could handle herself and would come back when she was ready. The past few days had been emotionally traumatic, but especially so for Max. 

The following evening, when Angel and Cordelia arrived at the hospital to visit Giles, they were vaguely surprised to hear him demanding information about Max. He had taken the high road about what she had done. To him, she was his savior. She'd selflessly given her blood so that he wouldn't be put in danger by having to wait until more blood arrived from another hospital. As time wore on and he showed no ill effects, it only strengthened his feelings about the matter. Angel had briefly spoken to Buffy and Spike earlier, convincing them of the need to keep Max's story quiet for the time being. Buffy had agreed grudgingly. Even though she was angry with Max for possibly endangering her friend, she had calmed down a bit about it. She knew that it wasn't her place to blab Max's secrets. 

So from the moment Angel and Cordy walked into the room, Giles began peppering them with questions about their friend. They haltingly explained what they could, but cautioned Giles he should really wait to hear it from Max. And then, the next evening, Dr. Armstrong dropped his little bombshell about Max's blood and connection with Giles. Angel saw red at the invasion of Max's privacy. Giles immediately became more adamant about meeting her and finally, Cordy explained that Max had run off because of the doctor's treatment of her. 

Buffy definitely had mixed emotions about what the doctor said. Her heart screamed at her that it couldn't be true. She'd been Giles little girl for so long in heart and spirit, if not biologically. But her head kept telling her that it was definitely possible. In Max's timeline, there was a very good probability that Giles could be a father. But that didn't make Max this Giles, her Giles, daughter. Finally, she blurted out, "Giles, she's not your daughter."

"Well, how do you know that Buffy?" Giles demanded softly. "You've only just met the girl. How old is she again?"

"Twenty-two," Cordy supplied, rolling her eyes. She glared at Buffy, trying to silently warn the girl not to hurt Giles by bursting his bubble too quickly. After the night of the ball, Max had haltingly confessed her true-life story to her roommate. Cordy had been hurt at first that Max hadn't told her straight out, but on a few moments reflection, she could understand why the other woman hadn't. So she let that go. 

"She's from a different timeline Giles," Buffy glared right back at Cordelia. She couldn't see the point of beating around the bush anymore. "She showed up much the same way Spike did, in the chamber at Wolfram & Hart. And she isn't twenty-two here, she's four." She didn't quite realize that her jealousy at Max's immediate position in Giles' life was showing through.

"R-really?" Giles sputtered. He was quiet for a moment. "How extraordinary!"

That revelation finally quieted him down about the girl. He began to turn his attention to the prophecy that they had called him about in the first place. It was to his great relief that the police had been able to gather up all his possessions and had them delivered to Angel's hotel. None of his books had been harmed, aside from the occasional mud or water stain. And Wesley and Fred had already begun work on translating the rest of the curse they'd found. But they let it be known that they were eagerly awaiting Giles joining them.

So finally, five days after the accident, Giles was released to Buffy's care and sent home to the hotel. They'd arranged a small Welcome Home gathering that lasted as long as Giles could stand. Everyone was surprised to see how robust he actually was and Angel silently laid credit where it was due, at Max's feet. Without her blood, Giles would have been a lot worse off. As Giles was making a speech however, they were all surprised when the object of Angel's thoughts strolled casually into the hotel.

"Hi," she greeted everyone softly. "Miss me?"

-----@ @-----

Max had made it safely away from the hospital, so many things running through her mind, but the most important of all pushing her, survival. After her trip to Wyoming, she'd begun to believe that her past was exactly that, the past. The things that had hurt her before would not have a chance to do so again. But with the appearance of Giles in her life, she knew the threat was back. So once again, she disappeared from the life she'd made.

She made contact with one of her co-workers that had quit recently after being offered a better position within a company. It wasn't hard to play on Karen's sympathies, lying to the girl that her apartment was being fumigated. So the girl had agreed to let her stay for a while. A quick stop home to pick up a few necessities and her motorcycle and she was gone. But as the days wore on, Max began to think logically again. Everything else about this dimension was different. That could also mean that this Giles might not mean harm to her. 

So, just as she'd shored herself up to face her past in Wyoming, she came to the decision that she needed to face Giles and the rest of the group as well. There was still the damning problem of the prophecy that had not faded from her skin like the first one had. It was another answer that she needed. So finally, after returning home to the apartment and not finding Cordy there, Max returned to the place that she knew she'd find help. The Hyperion. It was almost sundown when she arrived and she'd had to take many calming breaths before she entered. But she finally did, and with an air of confidence, strolled into the lobby where a large group was seated. 

"Hi," she smiled. "Miss me?"

There was stunned silence for a moment before Cordy remembered herself and hurried to greet her friend and roommate. The others were pushed out of their complacency at the tall brunette's glee. "Max!" she shrieked. "Where the hell have you been? I'm so glad to see you. Don't ever pull this disappearing shit again okay? Or I might just have to kick your ass."

"In your dreams Cordy," Max joked back. She looked around at the others, quietly contemplating her. "So what's the dealio?" Cordy glanced back at the others.

"Oh, you need to come meet Giles," she smiled at the older man. He was staring strangely at the girl. Before Max had arrived, Giles had been in quite the good mood, but now, he was even quieter than the rest. Max allowed herself to be pulled forward. Cordy came to a halt before the ex-Watcher and dropped her friend's hand. "Giles, this is Max Gueverra. Max, Rupert Giles."

Max stuck her hand out carefully and Giles glanced down at it in shock. He reached for it with his own and gave her a tremulous smile. "I'm so pleased to meet you, Max. You did a very…k-kind thing for me and I- I don't know how to ever t-thank you." He spoke in his usual manner, stumbling a little in his gratitude, but if he'd been shocked to see her before, it was nothing to compare to when she gifted him with a full smile. He clenched her hand tighter. "Jenny?" he whispered. Max stared at him for a moment, then disentangled her hand from his.

"I'm sorry?" she thought she'd misheard him. Angel cleared his throat then, glaringly aware that Max hadn't been privy to the doctor's revelation. He knew immediately what Giles was thinking.

"Maybe Max and Giles should have a private moment," he suggested, his tone brooking no argument. He led the pair to his office and shut the door firmly behind them. He didn't know that Cordy had set up a defensive posture between the rest of the group and his door. Angel gestured at them to take seats, which they did. Giles was still staring at Max and she was just as seriously trying to ignore his pleading gaze. She turned her own, begging Angel not to leave her alone. He recognized it immediately and took his own seat.

"What's going on here?" she asked softly of her friend. Angel sighed, knowing that it was up to him to explain, as Giles seemed to have been struck mute. 

"Max, I'm sorry to tell you that the doctor at the hospital was able to get some of your blood left from your transfusion and analyzed it," Angel started there, knowing as he did how she'd been trying to keep it secret. Max flinched a little, but stayed quiet. "He knows about your blood abnormality. But Cordy was fast on her feet and told him that you'd had a miscarriage. So Dr. Armstrong simply believes that the extremely rare occurrence of the baby's stem cells crossed into your blood stream is the reason they were present."

"Well, thank God for Cordelia," Max murmured. Angel didn't add that the doctor also believed that it was this process that had probably caused the miscarriage, since there never was a baby. That he knew of any way. 

"There is something else though," Angel sighed. "Max, they did a test on your DNA." She glanced up at him sharply, almost knowing what he was going to say. "It turns out that your blood and Giles is a 97 percent match. They believe him to be your father."

Max spun around to stare at the man beside her. He had a small grin on his face. She looked closely at him. There were only minor dissimilarities from the man she recalled in her timeline. But they were one and the same. "I'll be damned," she grunted. "Now it all makes sense."

"What makes sense?" Giles asked.

Max grinned at him. "I recognized you when I went into your hospital room." She hesitated from saying more, not knowing how much Angel or the others might have told him about her. Giles picked up on that immediately. 

"Buffy informed me that you weren't of this timeline," he assured her.

"Oh, okay." Max nodded. She knew it was now or never. Time to trust. "Well, see, there was always someone there in my childhood. He was kind to me. See, I didn't know my parents. My mother, well, basically she gave me up at birth. Not by choice, but all the same. But this man, he always told me I was his favorite. He died before I could find out more about him." She turned to Giles. "That was you."

Both Angel and Giles were shocked, even though they both knew they shouldn't be. Giles, just because of the information coming his way. Intellectually, he knew that in a different timeline, he could be capable of many different things, shaped by a different world. But as he was now, he could never understand the choice one would make to give up their own child. 

Angel was carefully pondering what he knew of Max. There were very few people in Max's early life that Giles could have been. And she'd never mentioned his name previously. "So who did you know him as?"

"Sandman," Max answered succinctly, expecting that very question. Angel just nodded, the whole picture becoming much more clear to him.

"I-I must confess," Giles stammered, absently cleaning his glasses on the hem of his sweater. "There's quite a bit I don't understand here."

"Can I ask you one thing first?" Max stopped him.

"O-of course."

"You called me Jenny. Why?" Max could see the pain the name brought surprisingly to both men. She glanced back and forth between them until Giles finally answered. 

"I'm sorry about that," he looked down at the floor. "When you smiled, you reminded me of her." He paused for a moment and glanced away. "She was the woman I loved. But…she died." Max definitely did not miss Angel's flinch when Giles said that. She tucked the knowledge in the back of her mind, resolving to discuss it with the man at a later date. She turned her attention back to Giles. "You said you didn't know your parents. So you had no idea…?"

"All I know is that my mother's name wasn't Jenny," Max bit her lip at Giles crestfallen look. "But then again, your name wasn't Giles."

He perked up considerably when she spoke. "O-oh yes. There is that. This is all so strange. Perhaps you'd better tell me what you can so that we can figure out why you are here." With a little effort, he turned himself to the business at hand. Max smiled back and wiggled until she was comfortable in her seat. Angel made as if to leave and she forestalled him with a small shake of her head.

"Well dad," she grinned as Giles was jolted by her small endearment. "It goes like this…" And she proceeded to give him the same story that she'd told the others. Laying all the pertinent information at his feet. And like the wonderful father he'd been to the others in their small, strange group, he listened and accepted.


	19. Just In Case

Chapter Nineteen

Just In Case

Max waited impatiently in the lobby as Cordelia feverishly stuffed the last of the filing unceremoniously into the cabinet. Angel had grudgingly agreed to let her go early, even though they'd been extremely busy. Max had an early day as well. In between their hectic schedules and Max's impromptu trip to parts unknown, the girls hadn't had much chance to get out and enjoy themselves like they did when they first met. And after their bonding session over the woes of Max's biological idiosynchrocies, they really needed to get out and about. Once the filing was shut away, Cordy leaned over the desk to flip the intercom switch that was wired to Angel's apartment. 

"Hey boss, the filing is done, so if that's it, I'll be leaving," she informed him. She glanced up at her friend, a twinkle in her eye. "And if there's more, screw it, I'm leaving anyway." There was a pause, then Angel's voice filtered through.

"I don't know Cordy," he spoke in his gentle voice, teasing as well. "Maybe I should come up and make sure all your chores are done before playtime. Just in case you know." Cordelia rolled her eyes and was about to respond, when a thumping noise caught her attention. "Max!" she shrieked, forgetting her finger was still holding the 'talk' button. She let it go and hurried around her desk, scrambling to her knees to check on her friend who had just mysteriously passed out.

Angel had heard the thump above him and the terror in Cordy's voice. He raced out of his apartment, sprinting up the rickety stairs as if Hell were on his heels. He skidded to a stop in the lobby. Careful to avoiding sunlight filtering in, he crept towards them as quickly as possible. "What happened?" he demanded as he knelt beside the prone girl. He felt for her pulse, which was strong and steady. She was breathing evenly.

"I don't know," Cordy sighed. "I was talking to you and she was fine. The next thing I know, she fainted."

"Did she hit her head when she fell?"

"On the floor, yeah," she confirmed. "I wonder what made her faint."

"Maybe stress, hunger, could be a lot of things," Angel mused. Now that he knew Max wasn't in fatal danger, he allowed himself to relax a little. "Here, let's get her somewhere a little more comfortable." He gently picked her up and carried her down the stairs, Cordy trailing behind him. 

"Well, safe to say, no partying tonight," she sighed again. "Oh well. Always next month I guess." Angel just smiled and kept moving. He deposited her on his couch and Cordy sank to the floor to keep an eye on her friend. Angel went to the kitchen to run a towel under some cool water. He wanted her to wake up so he could check her head for concussion, although he didn't think it was overly serious. But he, like Cordy, did wonder what had caused the faint. 

Max had been idly listening to the banter between her friend and the vampire. She enjoyed hearing him talk and tease Cordy. From what little she'd gathered, it was something he rarely did and it improved everyone's mood when it happened. Something to be savored. But then, those familiar words had come. 'Just in case.' But this time, instead of seeing Sandeman's face as she had last seen it, another had risen in its place. Little Case, her nephew. And it hadn't been the sleeping, recovering face that she'd kissed goodbye when he and his father had left for Mexico and points beyond. No, this little face was lifeless, bloodless, eyes wide and…accusing. Max's knees trembled as she recalled finally, what had been eluding her about her former life. The night she had saved the world, and destroyed her heart and soul in the process. With a little keening cry, she felt blackness close in. Case's eyes grew larger and more hurt. She couldn't bear it. She shut her eyes, trying to block the face, anything. And blackness swept over her. 

Angel tried bathing Max's face, but she remained out of it. He'd lifted her up to check her head wound, glad to find that it was completely superficial. After twenty minutes had passed, he began to worry that perhaps something worse was going on. He knew Cordelia was sensing his worry and multiplying it with her own. She'd already suggested calling the ambulance, but Angel had convinced her to wait a little longer. Max hated doctors and hospitals. He wouldn't inflict them on her if he didn't absolutely have to. Finally, after a few more minutes, Max moaned. 

With eyes still shut, she lifted her hand to her face. She let out a soft moan. Her hand covered her eyes and her body began to tremble. Angel rose up on his knees and was about to speak, but the lone teardrop that rolled down his cheek quieted him. 

"Case," she whispered. Angel's brow furrowed, he knew he'd heard her say that before. It wasn't until he recalled her life story that he remembered. It was a name. 

"Max?" Cordy called softly. The other woman didn't respond. Cordy exchanged glances with Angel. She shrugged, as if to say 'you try'.

"Max?" Angel said. "Max, are you okay?" She was trembling worse now, biting her lip to keep back the tears. Angel couldn't help but react. He slid an arm under her shoulders as the other moved to her waist. He hugged her to him as he leaned forward. "Shh," he soothed. "It's okay. It's going to be all right." But his words only served to make her cry in earnest, great body-wracking sobs. The noise was so full of yearning and despair that Angel almost cried with her. 

"Case," Cordy whispered. "Who's that?"

"Her nephew," he answered gruffly. He still held the woman in his arms and her sobs were lessening. A thought flitted across his mind and he groaned inwardly. He recalled what he'd said to Cordy over the intercom. He wondered if one of the things that she couldn't remember had something to do with the boy. Perhaps she was now remembering. It would certainly account for the reaction. Angel just continued to hold her. Finally the sobs stopped and Angel felt her go limp again. Reluctantly, he let her slide back to the couch, removed his arms, and then turned to face his friend. 

"I didn't realize she had family," Cordy was puzzled. "Beyond her Manticore siblings, I mean." Naturally, with the truth in the open, Max had given her the bare bones of her former existence, which Cordy had been able to accept without a problem. And their recent bout with freaky things of Max's life had bonded the women even more. 

"Case is Tinga's son," he explained. 

"She's the one that died, right?" Cordy said it so quietly, not wanting to sound harsh and not wanting Max to hear, on the chance that it would set her off again. Angel just nodded. Cordy chewed her lip for a moment. "Okay, I'm going to head home. Probably be best if we let Max rest for a little longer. If she wants to talk, good, if not, you can drive her home. Just give me a call before you come over so I can have the hot chocolate ready." She used his shoulder to steady herself as she stood. 

"Yes ma'am," he quipped softly. Not many people got to see the nurturing side of Cordelia Chase. And it was in full force for the woman she now considered her best friend. She just smiled gratefully at him and took her leave. 

Angel spent the next two hours waiting. Occasionally, Max would whimper in her sleep and Angel would be right there at her side, in case she woke up. But she didn't. So he contented himself with rubbing her hand, or her arm, or her cheek until she calmed down again. The sun had fully set, he could tell by both his internal clock and the one glowing red on his microwave. And fitful movements from the couch caught his attention. He was there instantly, not having gone far. Finally, she opened her large brown eyes, luminous with unshed tears. She turned her head to look at him, her gaze filled with torment and guilt.

"It's okay," he soothed her again. "You're in my apartment. You fainted." He tried to calm her down, but he could see tension and pain mounting in her smaller frame. "Do you want to talk about it?" The question was a big mistake. Her eyes grew larger and more panicked. Obviously, she was not at all comfortable about relieving whatever he assumed she had recalled. 

"No, no," she whimpered. "I can't."

"Max, it's okay," he smiled sweetly, hoping to reassure her. "Whatever it is, or was, you can tell me. Believe me, it can't be worse than some of the things I've done." He swore inwardly as she cringed. He was definitely going from bad to worse. He leaned in to stroke her arm again, but she pushed him away and scrambled off the couch. 

"I can't!" she shrieked. He stared at her, puzzled. She shook her head once, then was running for the stairs. Angel watched her for a moment, then glanced down at nothing. He recalled at once that Cordelia had told him that Max had told her that sometimes it was best to let her walk away. That sometimes she needed to go and do whatever she did to calm down before coming back and working things out. Whether it was riding her motorcycle to clear her head, or hanging out in the bar, she sometimes needed time to process things. Angel closed his eyes, seeing again her torment. In an instant, he was on his feet racing after her. This was not one of those times. He was too scared at what he had seen in his face. The Powers only knew what she might do. 

She was faster than he was. He knew it. But he had one advantage above her; he could track her smell. And it led him straight to the roof of the Hyperion. As he emerged from the doorway of the rooftop access, the bottom of his stomach dropped out. She was standing on the ledge, leaning forward, her face calm, but accepting.

"Max no!" he screamed as he raced towards her.


	20. Not Within Mission Parameters

Chapter Twenty

Not Within Mission Parameters

"I can't jump, you know," Max's voice slowed Angel's headlong run. He stopped, fearing that it was a ploy to keep him away. She had known the instant he got to the roof. He wondered if he'd be able to catch her if she did go over. He continued to creep forward, hoping she wouldn't notice. If his heart could beat, he wouldn't have been surprised if it exploded from his chest with all the fear he was feeling. She turned her head back to look at him. She was deadly calm, as if she were just out for an evening stroll. "I stand up here, on the edge, looking down over the city. One hell of a risk. For a normal person, that is," she scoffed. "But no, not me. I'm not invited into the night." Sarcasm filled her tone.

Her words puzzled Angel, but as he studied her, he began to understand. Max was really leaning out, but it was as if an invisible barrier stopped her. Very similar to the one that kept him or any other vampire from entering a home unbidden. "Maybe there's something at work here. Maybe someone is trying to tell you that you're worth more than this," he replied, his emotions choking him up just a little. He knew he certainly thought she was worth more. 

"Something along the lines of Manticore," she sneered. She moved back a little, easing the tension in his body a little. "It's physically impossible for me to commit suicide. Not unless it's ordered, or 'within mission parameters'." Her voice was cold and hard over that little phrase. Angel could only guess how many times she'd heard it in her young life. He swore inwardly, thinking of the hellacious adults who had no compunction about instilling suicide as a reasonable means to a child. It didn't matter what the situation was. 

"Then why are you up here?" he demanded quietly, knowing she'd hear him 

"Because up here, everything is quiet, it's normal," she sighed. "Up here, I can look at the people in the city, imagining that maybe somewhere, somehow, they've got a good life. Something I'll never have. Sometimes up here, I can forget…"

"Forget about Case?" His voice was so low, it barely registered. He could remember many nights when he had tried to forget as well. But he never deluded himself into making that happen. Max turned her head away and looked down at the street again. 

"Yeah."

"Baby," he closed his eyes, suffering her pain with her. "Max, please, come down." He waited, longing to reach up and snatch her into the safety of his arms. Finally, she stepped back. He swooped to her, engulfing her in his embrace. She didn't respond, as if that one word she'd uttered had drained all emotion from her. Angel didn't care. She'd scared him so badly that it was he who was trembling now. His knees were shaking and taking her with him, he sank to the ground, with her on his lap. He leaned his forehead against her shoulder. But she didn't respond. At least she didn't move away either. "Max," he implored again. "You need to talk. Let it out, or it's going to eat you up inside. Believe me, I know."

Max continued to sit impassively, in his arms. He threaded his fingers through her hair and gently settled her into his embrace. He had two reasons for that. The first was that he wanted to try and forestall her running from him again. And secondly, after the fright he had over her apparent dance with death at her own hands, he needed to hold her, assure himself that she was really there. He could have lost her so easily. If she couldn't jump, she could have run in the street and been mowed over by a car. Life was that way. Maybe hit and run wouldn't have been as deliberate as jumping, but just as effective when it came to dead. Angel sighed, knowing he'd never be able to force Max to talk to him. So he did what came naturally and comforted her in man's age-old way.

He slid his hand up her arm, lightly trailing it over her neck. She shivered under his touch. He cupped her cheek and urged her to turn to him. Her large eyes looked into his, their coloring almost the same. With slow, deliberate ease, he let his lips descend to hers. He brushed them softly over the pliant flesh of her wide mouth. She shivered again and he returned, increasing the pressure a little more. He didn't want to scare her, so he gently trailed kisses along her cheek up to her temple. But he couldn't deny the lure of her breathy little gasp and he returned to her moist, warm mouth. He let his tongue sweep across her lower lip, hoping to urge her into returning the caress. She squirmed a little before allowing him access. His tongue dipped in, finding hers and laving it, taking her heat for himself. 

Max felt herself stir, felt herself give in to his kiss. She was lightheaded from the shock of pure desire that lanced through her and she squirmed a little. He deepened the kiss and Max wanted to cry when he pulled back a little. He stared at her from under a hooded gaze, his own desire mounting as well. He leaned towards her, but before he could kiss her again, her hand shot against his chest.

"Don't," she whispered. Angel stared at her in shock. He could have sworn that she had responded to him. But he was too much of a gentleman to push her. So he settled for holding her as long as he could. She settled in against his chest and he rested his cheek on the top of her head, hoping that she wouldn't keep herself from him. They were that way for a long time, until Max spoke again. "I killed him."

Angel tried to keep from stiffening at the shock of her words. He knew immediately that she meant Case. He waited until they were as relaxed as they were going to get. "Tell me," he urged gently. 

"We, Logan and I," she began hesitantly. She sighed, realizing it was much easier to say when his guilty, soul-filled gaze wasn't meeting her own, "we found out that the Phalanx meant to set off a bomb, nanotechnology. After months and months, we finally found out what it was. It was the same virus that Lydecker had put in Case. See Lydecker had developed these nanos, but he reversed the effect. So instead of fixing everything they could, the nanos would break down and destroy living tissue. He infected Case so he had a bargaining chip to lure Tinga back to Manticore. She agreed, Case received the antidote, so he didn't die." She paused a moment, remembering that night that Lydecker revealed his twisted idea of using the boy as a pawn. "The Phalanx wanted to wipe out any lesser humans and prepare the way for the coming of the superior race, themselves. During their rituals, they planned to take the same cure that Case had received so they would be immune to the effects. Logan and I discovered where the prototype bomb was and when it would be activated. It had enough of the nanos to wipe out the Northwestern seaboard. My job was to take out the Phalanx, one by one. I got most of them, at least the ones who knew how nanotechnology worked. But they'd already taken the cure before I got there. It was gone. I also stole the files used to create the nanotechnology, so they couldn't try it again. When I told Logan about that, he wasn't too pleased. That meant our only option was my nephew. So Logan went to get Case, to see if we could make some sort of antidote from his blood."

"Smart move," Angel commented quietly.

"But when I returned, Logan had found out that Case's blood alone wouldn't work," she argued softly, shaking her head, trying to make him see. " The antibodies, after destroying the original virus and any other junk in his DNA, went dormant. He needed my blood to activate it. The idea was that the difference in my blood would activate the cure because it would automatically scan the new blood for mistakes to fix. That was its entire purpose, to fix things, make them better. And we found out that the size of the bomb was too big. Too much. I gave Logan the blueprints of the bomb. There were multiple chambers, in which the virus was contained, all interconnected. Case couldn't just give a sample. We needed all his blood. Something about the balance of the good nanos, versus the evil having to be even. So we headed to where the bomb was, there wasn't much time. We fought to get in and make our way through the government facility. I was so tired by that point that Case saved my life. He shot a soldier that I didn't see right away. Just nicked him in the arm. But it was enough to alert me and deal with the guy. And then, Case asked me where we were going. And I lied to him. I lied. And he knew it, but he let me lie anyway."

"What did you tell him?"

"I told him I was taking him to his mom," Max sighed. She was trying so hard to keep the emotion from her words. They both knew she wasn't succeeding. "He went along with me. Once we reached the bomb, I read Logan's notes on how to begin the process of 'dismantling' it. We were to transfuse Case's blood and my blood into the chambers where the virus was stored, with this multi-tubing stuff Logan had come up with. There was one needle for me and one for Case on one end, and enough tubes for the chambers on the other end. It was clear, the glass and I could see our blood seep in. He was just seven years old. Just a little boy. I had to kill that little boy. It wasn't my prophecy, it was his. I didn't have to give much blood. Just enough to activate his. But he had to give it all. I remember that the only thing he said was that he couldn't wait to be with his mom. And I just couldn't let him go alone. He was so brave. I didn't know if Heaven existed, and all I could think of was that I didn't want that precious little boy to wait in the darkness alone, never knowing if he'd really see his mom or not." She shuddered in his arms, and Angel tightened his grip slightly, silently comforting her. When she continued, her voice was quiet. "Case knew the whole deal, he wasn't stupid. I think what hurt the most was that the whole time, he was trying to make it better for me, make it easier. But nothing could. I lay down with him in my arms and we bled to death. Together." Angel shuddered just as she did. "Or at least, I thought I died. Guess my being here kind of disproves that theory." She turned her tear filled gaze to the evening sky, as if searching for something, or someone. "I hope he found her."

There was nothing he could say to her. In all his years of life and unlife, he'd never prepared for this. His only comfort some nights was that it was the demon that had killed and tortured so many people. If he wanted to, he could separate himself, have something to blame, even if it did co-exist in the same body as his soul. So many people saw Angelus as a separate person that he almost believed it at times. But Max would never have that luxury.


	21. There's More To This Than Meets The Eye

Chapter Twenty-one

There's More To This Than Meets The Eye

Buffy let herself into the hotel room she and Spike were sharing at Angel's hotel. Giles had finally sent her home, seeing how she really wasn't the best at researching. Ever since his first talk with Max, the older man had been trying to discover why Angel's curse had appeared on her skin. Willow had been helping, trying to translate the new words that were there. But aside from knowing that there was more than the original curse, Buffy had no clue how to help. If it were a lead to follow for a new demon, she'd be all over it, but it was Angel. And while she may not love him the way she used to, she still cared for him. That and the worry over Giles and Max's burgeoning relationship was starting to wear on her. So Spike had sent her ahead, wanting to make a round of patrol before he came back and Buffy was grateful. For so long, she'd been doing it all herself. It felt really good to have back up from someone who really understood. She made sure the door was locked then began to walk towards the bed, stripping her shirt along the way. 

"Not that I wouldn't enjoy the show," a male voice floated across the darkened room. Buffy shrieked in surprise and yanked the shirt up to cover her breasts. A light flickered on and she was stunned to see Whistler, the flamboyant demon lounging on her bed. She relaxed slightly as he turned to look away. She slipped her shirt over her head. "I just think it'd happen to make the boys upset. You might threaten me, but they'd kick my scrawny ass for sure." 

"What the hell are you doing here?" Buffy demanded, angry over her embarrassment. 

"I'm enjoying the comforts of Angel's hospitality," he joked, turning back to her. "Just like you are."

"Well, not in my bed you aren't," she sighed. She motioned with her hand and chuckling, Whistler obeyed. He rose from the bed and moved to one of the chairs by the door. 

"My only question to you," he spoke jovially, although he was completely serious, "is why are you still here?"

"What do you mean, why am I still here?" Buffy was getting angry again. "Giles just had surgery. He almost died. We're trying to figure out this new prophecy. Where else would I be?"

"I meant, why are you still here at Angel's?" Whistler clarified. "I mean, you've got Spike now, what do you want with my boy?" Buffy bristled at the unspoken taunt.

"Angel's my friend," she began. Whistler's scoff stopped her.

"Yeah, throw me another line, cause I ain't taking that bait."

"He is," she spoke defiantly. 

"Then why are you always in his face, reminding him of what you two don't have anymore and never will?" Whistler demanded. "Why aren't you letting him move on? That's what a friend does, right?"

"He is moving on," Buffy growled irritably. 

"No he's not kid," Whistler shook his head, inwardly cursing stubborn women. And men for that matter. He knew that as long as Buffy was around, Angel would stay in limbo. Unable to forget his first love, unable to move on to the one that really needed him. "You're here, rubbing his nose in the fact that for once, you got a leg up on him. You chose Spike over him, and the Powers know that had to hurt. He's lost everything and here you are, throwing it in his face every time he turns around. What I told you all those years ago was the truth. No one saw you coming."

"Yeah, I remember," Buffy rolled her eyes. "You told me that right before I had to kill my soul mate."

"See, look at that, your soul mate," Whistler pounced on her words. "If he was your soul mate, then why didn't you wait for him? Why not give him the chance to come around? Why choose Spike?"

Buffy gaped at him. "Well, you know what I mean. Angel was the first man I ever loved. And I always will love him."

"And even though he's already dead, that's what killing him a little every day," Whistler sighed. "For crying out loud Slayer, Angel was only supposed to help you fight your battles. But no, the two of you got it in your head that romance between the Slayer and a Vampire was the most illicit, romantic thing in the world. At least Angel knew it was wrong and tried to fight against it. You knew it was wrong and ran headlong into it." Buffy was on her feet instantly, one hand fisted in the material of the demon's shirt, the other ready to fly. 

"You don't know anything about Angel and I," she growled. Whistler stared up at her, defiantly.

"Wrong kid, I know everything." Buffy stared at him, then finally loosed her grip.

"Everything, huh?" she grunted, taking a seat near his. "Then tell me why Max showed up. What the hell does she want here?"

"Want?" Whistler scoffed. "Max doesn't want anything. She's just trying to live her life, do the right thing, just like Angel does."

Buffy picked up on that immediately. "Just like Angel? So she's here because of him?"

"I can't tell you that kid," Whistler knew he had to be careful here. He was on shaky ground with what he could reveal. "I got to ask you kid, in all your time with Angel, did the good times outweigh the bad? And by bad I mean sending him to hell and then constantly rejecting each other, never understanding where the other was coming from, man the list could go on." Buffy didn't reply, just sat gazing at him with her large green eyes. "What I'm saying kid, is that love shouldn't hurt. It can be a pain in the ass to deal with sometimes, but in the end, it should all be good." He hoped he was getting through to her. She needed to let go and give Angel the chance to move on. The Powers still had work for him to do, and she was only slowing him down. She didn't speak for another moment, then tried again with her tactic.

"What do you know about Max?" she demanded softly. Whistler watched her for a moment, wondering how to deal with this stumbling block. He could tell her the truth, or he could remain silent. But he saw a way that just might achieve the end he wanted. 

"Like I said, I know everything," he shrugged. "I know the demon that saw to it she was created. I know all about her childhood, the things she's done."

"What things?" Buffy interrupted. "Tell me."

"Things like, how she killed her brother Ben. How she left her sister Brin for dead, for Lydecker. I know that she killed a prison warden. She refused to save a little girl being sexually abused by her father. I know about the day she ripped apart a man trying to escape from her and her siblings. She even killed her own nephew. There's a lot I know about Max." He finished slyly. Buffy looked a little green around the edges. Here she had been trying to be a little friendly with this woman. She was no vampire or demon, she was just a person using her skills to maim and destroy. She was worse than Faith. At least the other Slayer had only killed one man and did time for it. But now, Buffy seemed to have a rogue killer on her hands. 

"Does Angel know any of this?" she demanded, gripping the armrests of her chair tightly. 

"No, he doesn't," Whistler had to bite his inner cheek. His little plan was working. Buffy shot out of her seat. 

"I have to tell him," she decided as she hurried out of her room. Whistler allowed himself a little chuckle, then followed after her. He wanted to see the fireworks bound to appear. 


	22. Confrontation

Chapter Twenty- two

Confrontation

Angel had finally managed to convince Max to go back to his apartment with him. Despite what she said about not being able to commit suicide, he was still nervous about leaving her by herself. So he led her back downstairs, where she collapsed on the couch. Perhaps collapse wasn't the right word. He looked over at her from where he was brewing a pot of coffee for her. She was perched on the back of the sofa, her feet together on the cushion. And he recognized the position for what it was. In that manner, she could run easily. She could move forward, or she could roll off the back of the couch. And her higher perch meant that she could see things better. 

Angel didn't know if she was afraid of him judging her or afraid of his acceptance. Both hurt. But he couldn't summon the will to judge her. He wasn't her; he didn't know the pain she felt inside. He could imagine it. He had plenty of his own and his demon's experiences to draw on. And he knew that if he did pass judgement on her, she'd use his words to fuel her own pain. But on the other hand, just calmly accepting what she did might seem as if he was negating the pain of it. He needed to find a delicate balance. Some way of telling her that he knew she hurt, that killing a little boy was horrible. But it was necessary, as distasteful as it was. That yes, perhaps Case was in a better place. Maybe even in Heaven with his mother. And that maybe the pain of it would be useful to her in some way. That if she was hurting so badly, to use that guilt… 

Angel swore inwardly. He was really a bastard. Almost too late he realized that he was projecting his own life onto Max. What she'd done, was nothing like Angelus, Scourge of Europe. He drew in a deep unneeded breath. It was a very fine line to walk for him. He could use his experience to help her, but not go so far as to try and use her as an extension of his own path to redemption. That was something he had to work out himself. The sudden silence in the room caught his attention. He turned and realized that the coffee had finished brewing, the hiss of the stream of fluid gone now. 

He pulled a mug from the cupboard above the coffeepot and filled it slowly with the rich dark liquid. He turned to glance at Max. She was staring straight ahead, not paying any attention to him. "Max?" he called softly. She turned her head to him. "How do you like your coffee?" She stared at him for a moment. Then a tiny, sad smile tugged at her lips.

"I spill my guts about the horrible thing I did and you want to know how I like my coffee?" she drawled. Angel knew she was testing the water, trying to figure out what he was going to do next. 

"Yeah," was all he said. She tilted her head to the right, regarding him. 

"I like it black."

Buffy hurried down to Angel's basement apartment, hoping he was there and alone. She knocked quietly on the door, her news too important to wait. The door finally swung open and Angel stared at her pensive face for a moment before letting her in. She moved into the apartment and he shut the door behind her. 

"What's wrong?" he asked, still able to read her moods easily. "Is it Giles?"

"No, he's fine, I guess," she replied. "I haven't heard any different since I left his hotel." She paused and rubbed nervous hands over her jean-clad legs, the strange thought occurring again about why Giles didn't take the room Angel had offered him. She forced her attention back to the subject she'd come down here for. "I just found some stuff out that I thought you should know about right away."

"What kind of stuff?" he asked gently. He knew that Buffy would get to whatever was bothering her in her own time and way. 

"Can we sit?" She didn't notice his glance to the closed bathroom door. But he nodded as she was already taking a seat in his living room. 

"So what's going on?"

"It's about Max," she said nervously. She knew Angel was friendly with the girl. And the last time she'd spoken out against one of his friends, Faith, he'd struck her. At this point, he looked interested in what she said. So she went ahead. "I had a little visit from our old friend Whistler. He told me a lot of things about her." Angel stiffened immediately upon hearing the demon's name. His old friend had a way of twisting things around. He didn't speak and she continued. "He told me about a lot of different people that she killed. He mentioned her brother, her nephew, and her sister she left for dead. Other people that she didn't protect or killed. I'm sorry Angel, but is she really the type of person that you want in you life?" 

When he heard Buffy speak of Max's nephew, he knew exactly whom she meant. "Don't Buffy," he warned, his tone low and menacing. 

"No Angel," Buffy shook her head. "We need to be reasonable and mature about this. Max just shows up and waltzes into our lives. We need to know who she is and what she's capable of."

"Into our lives?" Angel exploded. "What our lives? For your information, you would have nothing to do with this if you hadn't insisted on barging into my life." Buffy was truly shocked by his anger.

"Angel," her voice was anguished, hurt by his reaction. "I thought we were friends."

"No Buffy," he growled. "You wanted to be friends. I wanted to love you the rest of my life and give you everything you deserved. Obviously it didn't work out that way. When you chose Spike over me, I needed time to accept that. But you wouldn't give it to me. You kept coming after me. 'Let's be friends. Let's let go of the past. It'll be okay, one big happy family of friends.' But you don't seem to realize that if I can't have what I wanted, then it's better for me to be gone from it." He managed to stop himself from screaming, but he knew his words had hurt her. Just as they always did. "Buffy," he sighed, hating himself for causing her pain. "I know you still care about me, even if it's not the way I wanted. But you need to let go, so I can move on, figure out how to survive without you."

"Fine," she snapped, incredibly hurt. "I get that. But you also need to decide if Max is the right person to move on with." He stared at her, not understanding what she was getting at. 

"Look Buffy, Max is just a friend," he shook his head. "She's Cordelia's friend. And she needs help. That's what I'm here for. Whatever Max has done in her life, that's over now."

"How do you know that?" Buffy demanded. "There was a lot of her life that she just skipped over. None of it of the good." Angel was prevented from responding as the bathroom door opened. Buffy turned to see Max in the doorway, a hurt look upon her face. Buffy's hand flew to her mouth as she realized the girl had heard everything. She cursed inwardly, finally noticing the half-drunken cup of coffee on the table before her. She'd assumed it was Angel's. She should have made sure that Angel was alone. 

"Max," Angel began, but she shook her head.

"She's right Angel," Max said simply. "You don't know me. I don't know you. There's no reason to trust me. All the things she told you. They were true. I did kill my brother. I did leave my sister who was dying. I ripped apart a man I didn't even know because Lydecker gave me the chance. I- there's a response in me that I try to resist. But it only takes one moment, one trigger to set it off. I have to live with it every day. It's not fair of me to ask others to try to do that as well." With those words, she moved to pick up her jacket from the kitchen counter. Angel tried to go after her, but Buffy grabbed his arm. 

"Buffy, let go!" he yelled at the petite blonde.

"God Angel, how could you think to go after her?" she demanded petulantly. "The woman just admitted to murdering members of her own family. She's a monster." Her eyes grew large as Angel reacted to her words. His demon emerged, vampire face in full regalia. 

"If she's a monster, then so am I!" Buffy stared after him helplessly as he ran after the other woman and Buffy knew that she had lost. 

Angel didn't bother tracking Max, he knew instinctively where she'd go. He followed her all the way home making sure that nothing happened to her. In her fragile state, he wasn't sure she'd be focused enough to deal with the things that went bump in the night. But she managed to get home okay. Angel stood in the hallway as he heard Cordy greet her friend. He caught the brunette's eye and jerked his head lightly to let the woman know that Max was in a bad way. Cordy nodded once to show her understanding and softly shut the door. Angel regarded the solid wood for a few minutes, then with a sigh, pushed way from the wall and headed back home. Back to his solitary life.


	23. Caritas

Chapter Twenty-three

Caritas

Max finally woke from her sleep, as if drugged. She knew that she'd slept more soundly than usual after the mini-crying jag she'd indulged in while in the shower the evening before. She was thankful that Cordelia had seemed to instinctively know what it was that she wanted. And that was to be left alone. In a strong show of solidarity, the other woman had simply pushed Max to the bathroom, turning on the hot water and murmured something about hot chocolate. 

When Max had emerged from the bathroom, hair still wet, but feeling at least marginally human, the hot chocolate and comforting shoulder was waiting. Cordy didn't push, just sat close by. And finally Max was able to speak. In a quiet voice, she'd told Cordy what she'd told Angel. And the other woman sat there, calmly accepting the evil that Max had done. That wasn't to say that Cordy was made of stone. Max caught her wincing and cringing as she retold the story. Damn that, it wasn't a story. It was the gritty, hard, gut wrenching truth, baldly laid out for perusal… and rejection. 

But to Max's immense and unknown that it was needed, relief, Cordy had simply set down her cup and leaned over to embrace her friend. They sat like that for a while, with Cordy's arms around her shoulders as Max shook in effort to control her body's reaction of the shock that the memories were back. And they were worse than she had supposed. Not that she should really be surprised. When had her life ever been normal, or easy? But for it to have revolved around Case. She wasn't sure she was strong enough to deal with it. Max momentarily toyed with the idea of using the training she'd received from Manticore to just forget the information. But that would have been the biggest insult to Case's bravery that she could imagine. She really didn't know what she was going to do. So in the end, she'd allowed her roommate to guide her to her room and had fallen into a fitful sleep that strangely, lasted most of the night. 

She was grateful that Cordelia had left some coffee for her. Although she wasn't sure that she wanted to wake up any more than she already was. The more awake she became, the more thoughts would come. Max moved back to her room, sipping at the mug while she chose some clothes for her day. She figured she might as well go to work and keep herself busy. It was a ploy that usually worked. And right now, she needed the distraction desperately. Case's face was just on the edge of her conscious mind. Moment by moment, she cherished the innocence there, only to feel sickened as the vision twisted to that final moment before everlasting sleep took him. Max shook her head. Of all the people she'd seen dead, he was haunting her the most. Even holding Tinga's dead, cold body in her arms didn't hurt as much as this. 

She knew that it was because his death was unavoidable that it was hurting so badly. Knowing that she had brought it about for the greater good was what made the guilt weigh so heavily on her. With a grimace, Max set the coffee cup on her dresser with a thump. She forced herself to the task at hand and yanked her clothes on almost viciously. Before she could stop herself, she'd rushed out of the apartment on her mountain bike, determined to get past the moment. It would wait for her. That moment would always be there for her. Right now, she needed to survive, keep her sanity until that moment. Figure out where the hell her life was going, what new purpose it had. Then she could be in that moment. Give in to it. Surrender to it. And maybe then, she'd find peace.

Cordy arrived at work in the afternoon. She'd left the apartment early that morning after making a pot of coffee. It wasn't that she was avoiding her roommate, but she really needed time to sort out what she'd been told. Cordy had seen a lot of things during her high school years on the Hellmouth. And it had only gotten worse after her move to LA and joining of Angel's team. Speaking of, he was waiting for her in the seemingly deserted lobby, carefully avoiding the sunlight, as was his daily torment. 

"How is she?" he asked without preamble. Cordy sank down into her chair behind her desk.

"Messed," was her short reply. He nodded. He hadn't expected any less.

"She'll get better," he mumbled, more wishful thinking than surety.

Cordy's head snapped up. "I don't think she will Angel," Cordy snorted. He stared at her, understanding in a way, what she was trying to get at. "She's human Angel."

"I know that."

"Intellectually, yeah," she scoffed. "But you have no conception of what she had to do." She sighed. "Okay, think of it this way. You are an adult, fully able to understand the consequences of certain actions. Buffy killed you, sent you to hell. You understood why, and I think, at times, were proud of her for the strength she had to do that." She noticed his predictable involuntary flinch, but pressed on ahead anyway. "It nearly ruined her. She was devastated by what she had to do. But that doesn't even compare to what Max had to do. Yes Buffy loved you. But there were conditions on your relationship. You both knew that it was her only choice. The world would have been sucked into Hell otherwise. But in Max's case, it was a little boy. Full of hope. Full of love and light. And she knows somewhere deep down inside that there might have been some other way to prevent what was going to happen. Not everyone would have died in that moment. It would have been bad, but it wouldn't be Hell on earth. And aside from being a little boy, it was her nephew. The last link she had to her sister."

"I know all this Cordy," he reiterated softly.

"But Angel, there is nowhere for Max to deal with this," Cordy pressed on. "I mean, if it were a regular problem, like I don't know, alcoholism and she wanted to get better, there would be things she could do. Understand?" He nodded. "Programs, support groups and stuff like that. But where is the support group for people who have to kill loved ones for the greater good?"

"There isn't one," he muttered, glancing away.

"You know, sometimes I think that the only thing that saved Buffy's sanity was her friends and family," Cordelia sighed. "Max doesn't have that support."

"Yes she does," Angel smirked suddenly. Cor caught the gleam in his eyes. "She has us."

The days fell into a regular pattern for Max. She'd get up, scurry off to work, sometimes putting in overtime. Then she'd find some way of working herself to the bone. Occasionally, it was thoroughly cleaning the apartment. Sometimes it was riding her motorcycle. Sometimes breaking it down and rebuilding it. She tried various sports and even went out clubbing with Cordelia. She tried picking fights at seedy bars. But all that last had gotten her was a dangerous reputation. And almost arrested. So she went back to the others in a restless round robin of ways to exhaust herself. But every night, the memory that tugged on the corner of her mind would be out in full force for the few hours that she slept. And then she woke and started the whole process over again. 

After two weeks of this, Cordelia and Angel finally interfered. As soon as Max arrived home from work, she began wondering if she should take her motorcycle out or clean the kitchen. But neither would happen, she realized, as Cordy pushed her towards her room. 

"Go get dressed," the other woman commanded. Max spared her a strange glance, then shrugged her shoulders, not arguing. She was secretly glad that Cordy had been up for all her suggestions. Just knowing that the other woman was there for her was a balm on her spirit at times. The woman seer was a strange bastion of strength. So Max dressed in the clothes that her friend had laid out for her after a quick shower. They were artfully casual, black leather pants and midnight-blue cropped tee shirt. Max prepared quickly, wanting to get away from the stifling apartment. But when she exited her room, it was to see Cordy relaxing on the couch in her around-the-apartment wear. 

"Aren't we going out?" Max demanded lightly, suddenly scared that her friend wanted nothing to do with her. 

"You are," Cordy smiled. "But Angel was whining that he wasn't getting any Max time. So he's taking you out tonight."

"Oh crap," Max moaned. "Not another banquet or some lame ass dealio?"

"For his health, he better not," Cordy mock growled, pleased with her friend's reaction. "But no, he just wanted a chance to get out. I think he's been cooped up way too long. Don't you think?"

"I guess," Max shrugged. She felt strange suddenly. Before the whole mess about Case had come into the open, she and Cordy had promised each other that they would work on cheering the broody vamp up. It lightened her considerably to be able to focus on someone else right then. Something she hadn't been doing for a long while. There was a knock on the door before she could say more and she moved to answer it. Angel stood there, smiling down gently at her. She stepped back to allow him entry, taking in his full attire as she did. "What the hell?" she gasped, then spun around to her friend. "Cordy, why the hell do we match?" Angel glanced down at his clothes, then smothered a grin. 

"Max, in no way do you and Angel match," she sighed, tossing her magazine aside. She rose from her seat gracefully and hurried to her room. When she returned, she was holding out a black, full-length duster in Max's size. She tossed it to her friend. "Put that on. Then you'll match." Max exchanged looks with Angel. She could see that he was trying to hide his mirth, not really succeeding. A little giggle escaped her lips. A chuckle from him. And then they were both full out laughing. Cordy smiled as well. It had been a while since either of them had felt like laughing. "Go on," she urged, making shooing motions with her hands. "Go out. Enjoy yourselves. Get drunk, whatever. Just go!"

"Yes mother," Angel drawled as he tugged on Max's arm, pulling her out into the hallway. He pulled the door shut just as something heavy, probably a shoe, thumped against it.

"I am not your mother, Angel!' his friend yelled from inside the apartment. There was a slight pause. "Don't stay out too late. Max has to work tomorrow!" The clothes-matched duo chuckled again. Angel gently took the duster from Max and held it out for her to slip on. She did so and he took her hand in his, leading her out to his car. 

"So where are we going?" Max asked carefully.

"Well, I heard about some of the places you've been to," Angel smirked, his eyes on the road. "Quite the reputation you've been making for yourself." Max groaned.

"I know," she muttered. "Not my finest hour."

"It's okay," Angel shrugged. "I get it."

"Well, I'm glad you do," Max snorted inelegantly. "'Cause I sure as hell don't sometimes." She looked him over again. She hadn't seen him so relaxed since the last time they'd been on a pseudo-date. "That still didn't answer my question."

"Oh, sorry. Have you heard of Caritas?"


	24. Soul Searching

Chapter Twenty-four

Soul Searching

"Caritas, huh?" Max muttered, knowing the vampire would hear her, but not caring. "What kind of place is that?"

"Karaoke bar."

Max whipped her head around to look at him. "Oh no! You've got to be kidding me?" Angel smiled his wicked grin. The one that never failed to get women on his side. Or in some cases, panting after him. He glanced at her, noting the true panic on her face.

"It's okay," he soothed. "You don't have to sing. I just thought it would be fun to get out. And seeing how my friend Lorne owns the place, it was the first thing I thought of."

"Okay," Max acceded slowly. She watched him for a moment thoughtfully. "Are you going to sing?" She noticed his jaw clench for a moment. 

"It has been requested that I only do so in an emergency," he admitted mirthlessly. 

"Huh?" Max grimaced. "Okay, missed the logic train on that one."

Angel sighed, wondering what to say to that. He'd been hoping that taking her to Lorne might help her work out some of her problems. But there was no getting by her. So he decided on the truth. "My friend Lorne is a demon." He let that sink in before continuing. "He has a talent for reading souls. But only when people sing. So, when I've had a few problems, I visit him."

"And I suppose that while you do a lot of things well, singing is not among them?"

"So I've been told."

"That's okay," she chuckled. "I've told you before, and I stand by my word. You have a lot of things going for you. Who the hell cares if you can sing?" Angel grinned right back at her.

They made it to the bar, but oddly enough, Lorne seemed to be nowhere around. They were there for a full half-hour before Angel caught sight of him. Yet the demon seemed inclined not to come over and greet them as he usually did. Angel wondered for a brief moment if Cordy called and warned Lorne not to be obvious in dealing with Max. There wasn't much he could do about it though. There was a definite, 'no fighting' rule in effect at Caritas. Any effort he made to drag the demon over would probably be misconstrued. So he continued to relax and enjoy his evening.

They talked almost non-stop about their days and nights. Work and play. Angel's true talent in drawing. Max's astounding abilities in mechanics. And all along the way, there was the running commentary on the singers performing before them. Angel didn't know that he was ever so witty and caustic in his comments. But they were all designed to entertain Max, just as hers were for him. He was extremely satisfied at how the evening was going, until the mood shifted and she excused herself from the table. Angel didn't understand at first as he watched her wind her way through the crowd to the bar. Then he heard the familiar strains of Eric Clapton's 'Tears In Heaven'. He swore to himself. That was one song Max definitely didn't need to hear tonight. 

Max had heard the now familiar song start up and quickly excused herself. It wasn't a song that she listened to in her time, but she'd heard it over the radio in this time. And while she'd never paid that much attention to the lyrics before, right now, they struck at her with stunning clarity. She noticed as she leaned against the bar, the green faced horned demon that had to be Lorne sidling up to her. "Beyond the door, there's peace I'm sure. And I know they'll be no more, tears in Heaven," she sang along softly. "Would you know my name, if I saw you in Heaven. Would it be the same, if I saw you in Heaven? I must be strong and carry on, cause I know, I don't belong, here in Heaven." She stopped abruptly and turned to face the newcomer.

"You have a beautiful voice sweetie," he murmured. "But I see why you don't use it."

"And why is that?" Max scoffed. 

"Because it lays you open," Lorne shrugged delicately. He didn't question why or how she'd made the decision to let him read her. She had and now it was his turn to perform. "And not just to me," he clarified. "It makes you vulnerable and you don't like that. Moreover, you can't be like that and survive in your world."

"Damn straight," Max agreed, catching the bartender's eye as she visibly hardened a little. 

"But it's not your world anymore," he reminded her gently. She shrugged.

"One place is like the next," she defied. "Doesn't make much difference."

"Oh, but it does," Lorne shook his head. "You wonder why you've been brought here. Well here's my answer. A gift." Max snorted.

"Doesn't seem like much of one so far," she remarked scathingly. 

"You have a gift to give," Lorne continued smoothly. "And a gift to receive."

"Let me guess," Max scowled. "Something wonderfully mysterious and esoteric, like enlightenment, or some crap like that?"

"Possibly," Lorne smiled softly. She'd come pretty close to nailing it on the head. "Do you want to hear the rest?"

"There's more?" she demanded. He nodded. "All from a couple lines out of a song?" Another nod. "All right. Hit me."

"The prophecy."

"The one on my back?"

"Yes, that one," Lorne clarified. "It's not a prophecy. It is Angel's curse. It won't tell you anything, but it will explain everything."

"You do realize that the whole cryptic thing is annoying, don't you?"

"Yes." Lorne watched as Max fidgeted, waiting for her beer. It was finally slid across the bar to her and Lorne watched her peeking at him. "It's okay," he reassured her. "You can ask." Max's startled glance met his and she bit her lip nervously. She looked back to where Angel sat, calmly watching them both. She turned back to the demon.

"Is he happy?" she whispered, terrified at what she might hear. Lorne smiled at her. Here at last was what she needed to hear.

"Yes Angel cakes, he is," He watched the tension leave her body and tears well up in her eyes. He touched her arm carefully. She turned her head to him.

"Thanks Lorne."

"You're welcome Max." And then he left her. She played idly with her glass of beer for a moment before resolutely setting her shoulders. She picked up the mug and made her way back to Angel. He was relieved to see that the smile on her face was a little more real than the one she'd plastered on earlier for his and Cordy's benefit. He let her relax a little more and finish her drink before leaning towards her.

"What do you say we get out of here," he suggested. With one last glance at the demon, Max nodded her assent. And so they left. 

Once in the car, Angel was unsure what to do next. It was the time of the evening that he regretted. He didn't want to drop her off at home, unable to do more than wish her a pleasant evening. And he couldn't think of where he could take her. But she rescued him easily.

"I think I need some coffee," she muttered. "Do you mind?"

He shook his head. "Did you want to go back to my place?" He quickly realized how that sounded. "Just for coffee," he said swiftly. "Not for anything else. I mean-!"

"Just coffee at your place sounds great, with a large helping of nothing strenuous on the side," she teased. Angel relaxed and smiled at her. He turned in the direction home. They sat quietly for the ride, both needing time to think. He let her into the building and locked up behind them, then led her down to his sparse apartment. He had the coffee going within minutes. She'd shed her coat and was seated on the couch, waiting for him to return. And with a grateful step, he moved to do so, needing more than anything at that moment, another chance to connect with her, as she needed him.

And as the days and weeks passed by, Max was finally able to let the destructive spiral she'd embraced go. It wasn't, as Cordy thought, due to letting loose in front of Lorne. Or the words he'd said to her. It had been in those final moments, before she'd drifted off to sleep on the couch after a night of talking, in Angel's comforting arms. The words they'd whispered to each other. 

"Is it ever going to get better?"

"It will if you let it."


	25. The Aftermath

Chapter Twenty-five

The Aftermath

Angel sat, staring at the bottle of whiskey before him. He'd managed to pour some for himself, not even realizing he was going through the motions. The only thing in his eyes was Max's motionless body. All the blood, it still permeated his senses. He didn't know how he'd made it home. Like an animal running in pain and fear, he'd returned to his den to lick his wounds. But he knew there was no way he could ever forget staring at the woman he'd come to care for, seeing the stillness of her. His hand itched towards the glass before him. He needed to forget. He needed to drown. He needed to go back in time and prevent what he had done. And the knowledge that he could never do that made him slam the drink back as his other hand reached for the bottle. It was pointless to even use the glass. He needed oblivion. He never noticed as his blood red tears stained his cheeks.

Angel quickly became numb with the amount of liquor in his system. But it wasn't helping. The images were still there and they were all he could concentrate on. He barely noticed the commotion outside his office. The screaming voice, furniture crashing about. He didn't care, couldn't care. 

Cordelia crashed through the doors of the Hyperion, her rage rolling off of her in waves. Fred jumped in her seat at the startling noise. Gunn and Wesley came running as she began screaming, "Where is he?" They watched in astonishment as she moved to the weapons cabinet and pulled out the loaded crossbow and a stake. She looked around, then grabbed a vial of holy water. She left the door hanging open and whirled around to the others. "I said where is he!"

"Who?" Fred asked timidly. She'd never seen Cordy so…violent. 

"That bastard Angelus!" she screamed, waving the crossbow menacingly. Fred, wide eyed, shrugged helplessly. He'd gone out earlier in the evening and no one knew where. Seeing that she wasn't going to get any help, Cordy stalked to the inner office and kicked the door open. Her flaming eyes took in Angel, sitting behind his desk, an empty whiskey bottle dangling from his fingertips. Gunn, Fred and Wes rushed in behind her just as she loosed the crossbow bolt.

Pain, physical pain erupted in Angel's left shoulder. He roared involuntarily at the pain. As he shuddered from the abrupt wake-up from his drunken stupor, he lifted his head. There was Cordy, an avenging fury standing with the crossbow in her hands. He looked down at the bolt protruding from his shoulder. Then he knew. Cordy knew what he had done. She would make it right. She would avenge her best friend and roommate. And Angel would do nothing to prevent her. 

"Cordelia!" Wesley was thoroughly shocked. "What the hell are you doing!"

It's all his fault!" she shrieked. She was so pissed that she'd missed. Her anger threw her aim off. But that was okay, she still had the stake. She began to advance on him, carefully but purposefully. Angelus was a seriously dangerous opponent. But Cordelia had vowed to herself long ago that she would do whatever necessary to stop him. She hadn't counted on Gunn grabbing her and holding her captive. 

"What's his fault?" Gunn demanded. "What's going on Cordy?"

"Ask him!" she shrieked. "Ask Angelus what he did. I'm sure he wants to torment us all about what he did to Max!" her voice cracked as she said her friend's name. She collapsed slightly as the memory overwhelmed her and she began to sob openly. The others began to get the same idea. Fred, who'd been working the bolt out of Angel's shoulder, glanced down at him, fear gnawing at her and with a final surprised yank, pulled it out and backed away from him. He just sat there, staring at Cordy, unable to speak, unable to fight.

The other three gathered around the sobbing girl. "I told him to leave her alone," she cried out. "I told him not to go see her, but he did. And when I got home, oh God, the blood. There was so much blood!" The words galvanized Angel into action. He stood up from the chair, dizzy and unbalanced. But he stumbled over to Cordelia. The others backed away, their nightmares now the reality. If the assumptions were correct, Angelus was among them. Angel clumsily knelt in front of the sobbing girl. He lifted the hand that still held the stake and raised it to his chest. The others watched this macabre event in shock and revulsion. Cordelia looked up, tears still pouring from her eyes, blurring her friend's face.

Angel made her hand push slightly with the stake. "Please," he whispered, begging her to do what he could not do himself. Her tears stopped and she shook her head. She forced herself to look into his eyes. "Please," he whispered again, and she knew what he wanted. 

"Angel?" she asked, confused. The torment that she saw was all too familiar but increased a hundred-fold. She yanked her hand back and crossed her arms protectively over her chest. "No. No, it can't be you. It was Angelus. Angelus did it. Angelus did it." She chanted it over and over to herself, because sanity would not permit her to believe otherwise. 

"No," Angel whispered. "I did it. I did it." The words got louder as the two chanted like crazed monks. "I did IT!" he roared and finally they both fell silent, locked in their misery together. They were both weeping openly again. 

Wesley finally took action and motioned for Gunn to help Angel. The silent man pulled Angel back from Cordelia, as Fred and Wes helped the sobbing woman to her feet. Angel refused to get up off the floor and Gunn knelt by him, holding him by the shoulders, lest Angel should try anything before they could fully understand what had transpired. Fred led Cordelia over to the sofa and made her sit. They had a whispered conversation that the men ignored for now. Whatever had happened, they knew it was easier for Cordelia to say to another woman. 

"Tell me Cordy," Fred whispered. "We need to know."

"I had to go pick some stuff up," Cordy whispered. She hiccuped as she struggled to control her tears. "I saw Angel outside and I told him to leave. Max wanted to be alone. He told me that he wouldn't bother her. I insisted that he leave. So he said he'd walk me to my car and come home." She began to cry again, not as badly as before. Fred rubbed her shoulder encouragingly. She had an awful feeling in the pit of her stomach. "When I got home," she drew in a sharp breath, remembering the scene that had met her eyes. But she knew she had to tell them, make them understand the enormity of what Angel had done. "I got out of the car, and I saw Angel running from the building. I yelled at him, but he didn't stop. So I ran up to check on Max. My God. There was blood everywhere, a bunch of furniture smashed. Max was on the floor, her clothes all shredded. And bite marks everywhere. I couldn't move for a minute. It was just too much. But I had to help her. She was lying on the floor, barely moving. So I called for an ambulance. She was barely breathing. The paramedics said that they've never seen anything so bad. They rushed her to the hospital. And I came here." She finished with a gulp and began crying again. Neither had noticed Angel's head jerk up.

"She's not dead?" he asked, purest hope shining through the torment in his voice. Gunn squeezed his shoulder and Angel's head dropped down again. "I thought I'd killed her," he moaned through clenched teeth. 

"Why Angel?" Gunn shook his head. "Why man? What happened?"

"I don't know," the vampire sobbed, his whole body shaking. "When she opened the door, I don't know. Everything is hazy. All I remember was that she opened the door and the next thing I know, she was on the floor. She wasn't breathing. I couldn't…I just…" He was too full of remorse to go on. 

"I'll call the hospital," Wes decided quickly. Max was a friend to all of them, this affected them all. He went to the lobby to make his call as the rest sat in silence, punctuated by assorted sobs and cries. It took Wes a while to get through to someone. By pretending to be Max's brother, he was updated on the situation. With an aggrieved sigh, he hung up the phone and returned to the assembled throng. 

"She's gone," he announced. At the gasp that echoed through the room, he realized how that sounded. "No, no," he rushed to correct himself. "I mean, she's left the hospital." He crossed over to the sofa and seated himself next to the women. He looked at Angel. The man had stilled himself at Wes' announcement, his brief flash of hope ripped from him again.

"They rushed her to the hospital, to the emergency room. The nurse said that she'd lost a lot of blood. Max's injuries weren't as serious as they'd believed at first. She has two cracked ribs, the bite marks on her neck, torso and wrist, bruises and a concussion. But when they tried to take a blood sample and let her know that they would be doing a rape kit, she became violent. She knocked out one nurse, ripped off the medical equipment and fled. She knocked out a security guard, stole some clothes and left the hospital. They called the police and the cops are looking for her. They went to the apartment, but she hadn't returned there. So at this moment, she's hurt and in hiding." Wes finished in a rush, seeing how the information was tearing into Angel. The other's sat in silence. Never had anyone ever foresaw the time when Angel, not Angelus, their friend, mentor and employer would rape a woman. 

Angel could see the sick looks they were shooting him. But it was nothing compared to the vile epithets he hurled inwardly at himself. He pushed himself off the floor, his drunkenness impelling him. "I have to find her," he slurred. He had to make it right somehow. With his added vampire speed, he was out of the office before anyone could stop him. 


	26. The Confession

Chapter Twenty-six

The Confession

Giles was enjoying a late night drink before bed when the knock came at his hotel door. He sighed and set down the drink and the book he'd been reading. He rose to his feet, still a little stiff from his recovery. He ambled to the door and checked to make sure he had a weapon handy. Even after all his years, he still maintained certain habits. Just because the Hellmouth in Sunnydale was eradicated, didn't mean there wasn't still danger abounding. 

"Who is it?" he called.

"Giles, it's Max," came the reply, a little muffled. "Can I come in?" Giles smiled slightly and swung the door open.

"Hello Max," he began, but when he took in the full measure of his biological daughter, he stopped short and swallowed hard. Her body seemed a mess of bruises, her hair hung limp around her face and she was leaning against the wall, one arm wrapped around her waist. "Good lord," he whispered, then sucked in a breath. "What happened?" She reached out her free arm and he took it and helped her into the room. It did not answer one of the questions tumbling through his mind. He hoped that she hadn't been turned, but since he knew that the others had seen her that very day, in the sunlight, it wasn't likely. Still, vampires didn't need verbal permission to enter hotel rooms. He decided to be wary, which was second nature to him. It also came to his mind that if she were a vampire, she'd heal more quickly, but then again, she healed quickly in her natural way. So he waited, carefully, with baited breath, for some sign. The even rise and fall of her chest was his answer. His breath came out in a whoosh as he gently felt the thrum of her blood through her wrist that he held. 

Max, with Giles' help, limped over to the sofa. He eased her down to it, then stood, regarding her. Ever since they had discovered that Max was his daughter, he hadn't known how to react to her. She certainly didn't behave as if she needed fatherly guidance or attention, but she didn't push him away. They were still getting used to each other. But Giles took it as a good sign that she had turned to him for help. 

"Um," Max wasn't sure how to explain to this man, still a stranger in many respects, what exactly had happened. It wasn't as if it was a random fight that she'd wimped out in. She was really hurt. "It's hard to explain." She was certainly embarrassed that she would even consider having this conversation with anyone, let alone her sort of father. "Can I give you the details later?"

"O-of course," Giles stammered. "Was it a fight?"

"Sort of," Max tried to shrug, but the motion pulled at her ribs and she inhaled sharply. Giles was on his knees supporting her in an instance. 

"How bad is it?" he demanded. 

"Mmm, concussion, two cracked ribs and some scrapes and bruises," she rattled off the list. Giles' features tightened at the casual way she treated herself. 

"Max, you should be in the hospital," Giles lectured. She glanced up at him with a grin. 

"I already was," she chuckled. "But they wanted a blood sample, so I cut and ran." Giles ran a hand over his face. He could understand why she would. Her blood abnormality was one that she protected fiercely from prying eyes. He knew that if anyone discovered the stem cells flowing in her blood, especially when she wasn't pregnant, they would be all over the medical marvel. And that was the last thing his daughter needed. 

"All right," Giles conceded. "What do you need?" Max smiled at him gratefully and he felt that shock once again, to see Jenny's wide smile in the face before him. 

"A bath, some clean clothes and a little sleep would be great," she sighed. "I'm so tired, and my head hurts."

"Well I should bloody well think so," Giles chuckled. "What with the concussion and all." Max reached out and squeezed his hand. Tears threatened to fall and seeing this, Giles patted her hand and then stood, his innate courtesy allowing her a moment to herself. He moved to the bathroom and ran a warm bath for her, then rummaged through his clothes. He didn't find anything there that would fit her, so he decided to set out the terry cloth robe the hotel provided and a long shirt. They'd figure out clothes later. He returned to the sitting room and helped his daughter to her feet. She wasn't unsteady exactly, but they both seemed to need the contact. He to assure himself that she would be all right and her because she needed a friend who wouldn't pry. 

"Do you perhaps want me to call Cordelia?" he asked as he left her standing before the tub. 

"I think I can manage," she told him. "I'll give her a call later."

"Right then," Giles nodded as he stood in the doorway. "I'll knock in fifteen minutes to make sure you don't fall asleep. "

"Thank you."

"Anything for you, Max."

Giles returned to the sofa and watched the clock, checking on her as promised. Although it was unneedful. She hummed the whole time she was in the bathroom, more to reassure him that she was awake and aware, than because she liked humming. Once she was ready, she got out and had a good look in the mirror at herself. She'd been banged up worse than this in the past, but what scared her most was seeing the bite marks Angel had put on her, and sickeningly, the thrill of passion she felt at his possession. She shook her aching head and carefully toweled herself dry. She donned the shirt and robe that Giles had left, but was unable to tie it shut, due to her ribs. With a quick check to make sure that her hair was covering the most obvious bite mark, she ambled out of the bathroom, only to see Giles turning down the bed for her. He motioned to her and she let him tuck her in. So many emotions raced through her mind as she drifted to sleep. The best of all was that she finally had a father to love her. 

Giles crept out of the room, but left the door ajar in case she needed him. He sat and returned to his book. But the events of the last half-hour consumed him. He wondered what had happened to Max in a fight that she couldn't share. Even with him. Frowning, he set the book down and sat in the semi-dark, listening to the silence until finally another knock at his door shattered his reverie.

Angel had gone to the hospital where Max had been taken. Without a word to anyone, he'd picked up her trail and followed it. The cool night air helped return his senses as the alcohol wore off. He was almost completely sober by the time he reached Giles' hotel. He sighed with relief as he realized that Max had gone to someone she could trust, instead of running away completely. He told himself to turn around and go home, but his stubborn feet walked into the lobby. He argued with himself all the way up to Giles' room. There was no way that Max would want to see him, after what he had done. But he needed to be there for her to hurt, the same way that he'd hurt her. And there was no doubt in his mind that Max would react that way. However she had been violated, she would be strong. He shuddered at that thought. Staking himself was too kind. Immolating himself was just the same. After this, he wouldn't have been surprised to spend another thousand years in hell. 

Before he could stop himself, he was knocking softly on Giles' door. The older man answered swiftly and didn't seem all that surprised to see him. "Angel, hello," Angel was wary, as Giles seemed in too good of a mood for someone whose daughter had been…violated. He couldn't bring himself to say the real word. Giles stepped back to let the vampire in. He entered the room silently and jumped slightly when Giles shut the door behind him. "I'm glad you're here," Giles muttered. Angel flinched. He knew how dangerous the man could be when riled. Especially when someone he loved or cared for was hurt. He'd nearly killed Angelus in retaliation for Jenny Calendar's murder. Giles gestured for the vampire to sit. Angel did so with trepidation. If Giles noticed, he didn't comment. "Max was hurt in a fight tonight," Giles explained. Angel felt a little tension go out of his shoulders. Max hadn't told him. 'Of course not, you idiot," he raged silently. 'She's too hurt, embarrassed, scared.'

"I was wondering if you could stay and watch her while I go get some supplies?" Giles asked. Angel, stunned, nodded in agreement. It was better for Max to confront him privately, if she didn't want Giles to know. "I'll just pop out then. She's sleeping now, but with her concussion, she shouldn't sleep too long." He found his coat and wallet, smiled politely at Angel and slipped out the door. Angel watched him go, then stood as well. He crept towards the door that was open a slight way. He pushed it open further and could see Max in the bed. She was laying on her back, breathing in an even rhythm. Relief swept through him. The memory of her motionless body was too much to bear. He would have turned away, but an involuntary movement aggravated her condition and a whimper escaped her lips. It worsened as she woke up a little and a moan brought Angel to his knees beside the bed. 

Max turned her head to see Angel beside her. His face was a mask of concern. She licked her parched lips and he turned away with a shudder that he couldn't conceal. Max's eyes widened, her first thought that Angel was ashamed about having sex with her when he still cared so deeply for Buffy. She cursed at herself silently, the pain and rage at what her life had become in these times overwhelming her. She began to cry. She tried to turn away from him, but was hampered by her ribs and the bed sheet. 

Angel heard her cry and it tore his heart. He reached for her, one hand cradling her cheek. She nuzzled into it for a moment before pulling away. Shame encapsulated him. He'd done this to her and her retreat from him was worse than all the punishments he could ever have imagined. "I'm sorry Angel," she cried softly. "So sorry." He sucked in an unneeded breath. He leaned forward.

"No Max, no," he whimpered. "It was my fault. I'm the one who hurt you. God, I never meant to. I don't know why…" he trailed off, crying softly. Max stared up at him in amazement. 

"You didn't hurt me," she spoke softly, wondering what he was thinking. "I mean, physically yeah, but you're a vampire, I was expecting that. I mean, not that I've ever had sex with one before, to my knowledge, but really-!"

"Wait a second," Angel interrupted. Her admission floored him. "I think we've got two different ideas about what happened tonight."

"Oh," Max nodded, her head throbbing. "It's my fault," she admitted. She chanced a look in his eyes and wasn't surprised at the confusion she saw there. "It's why I asked Cordy to tell you to stay away." She certainly didn't seem to be clearing things up for him. Perhaps a little more direct would help. "Angel, you know I have feline DNA in me, right?"

"Yeah, what does that have to do with this?" the confusion was mounting. 

"I hope you know how embarrassing this is," Max chuckled. It was strange; she'd always been shy, ashamed about this part of her life. But with Angel, who'd already dealt with so much, it was easier. "Feline DNA. Phases, cycles…mating?" she spoke in a teasing manner, hoping to deflect some of the shock. Angel was silent for a moment as he made the connection. 

Oh my God!" he hissed. "You mean, you were…?"

She blushed deeply and he smiled slowly. "Yeah, I was in heat," she confirmed. Angel shook his head, the night's memories starting to return. When she had answered the door, his body had responded to its call in predictable vampire fashion. He hung his head as memories tumbled over him, their whole time together coming back to him. And immediately on top of that was the sudden wonderment of why he hadn't reverted back to Angelus. He shook his head. He could deal with that later. He hadn't and that was all he needed to know at the moment. 

"But Max, I still had no right," he ground out. She studied him for a moment, understanding of his point of view coming to her. He'd believed that he'd hurt her, violated her. Nonconsensual sex. She knew she had to nip that in the bud immediately.

"Angel?" he looked at her, the pain of his actions still evident on his face. "Didn't you hear me when I said yes? Tonight I mean, at my apartment. You came in, I said yes and then we, well you know." Angel thought back to the beginning of their encounter. She was right, she had said yes. Screamed it in fact, many times over. A low chuckle started in his throat. 

"Actually, now that you mention it, I seem to remember hearing that word a number of times," he smiled, still chuckling. Her blush grew even deeper. "But still, this whole thing."

"I know, I'm sorry," she cut him off. "That's why I wanted to be alone. This damn thing that Manticore tricked up inside me makes me so crazy. You saw that. You couldn't help how you responded. I mean, no harm no foul, okay?"

"What do you mean?" he was suspicious. 

"We'll just chalk it up to an interesting experiment and forget about it," Max got out in a rush. She would have said more, but Angel silenced her with a finger over her lips. 

"Max, I've been wishing for this ever since you showed up at the office as Cordy's new roommate," he admitted. He could have cursed at himself, putting his feeling on the line like this. But he couldn't wait and hope like he had with Buffy. If anything, that had taught him to grab things when he could and treasure them for what they were. 

"You were?" she whispered in a small voice. She couldn't believe that Angel, the vampire with a soul, the guy she'd been dreaming about for weeks was reciprocating her feelings. She reached a hand up to cup his cheek as he had done to her earlier. She tilted her head up, inviting him. With a strangled whisper, he caught her lips in a searing kiss. Max wanted it to go on forever, but the movements caused a sharp pain in her ribs and she gasped. He pulled back anxiously. "My ribs," she said by way of explanation. He smiled, relieved, then sat back. 

"You need to get some more sleep," he instructed. 

"Will you stay?"

"Forever," he assured her. He carefully climbed onto the bed next to her and helped settle her in a comfortable position. She fell asleep, her head cradled on his chest. Angel smiled, feeling a little closer to the redemption he so needed. 


	27. Heat, Take Two

Chapter Twenty-seven

Heat, Take Two

Angel slowly shifted in the bed slightly, not wanting to disturb Max, who'd finally drifted off. He knew that she would heal, but guilt was still his favorite form of self-flagellation. Seeing her as she was now was still a big bruise to his mending soul. With a sigh, he tilted his head to plant a gentle kiss on her head. He straightened his neck, staring up at the ceiling. So many emotions were running through his mind. Fear tempered joy in an endless circle like a dog chasing its own tail. He had no idea what to do when one caught up to the other, but the chase was on and he felt helpless to stop it. 

Bringing his free hand up to painfully pinch the bridge of his nose, Angel told himself to just stop thinking. But he'd been alone so long before returning to the civilized world, that he knew the voices in his head, endlessly arguing the pros and cons wouldn't leave. It was like a radio improperly tuned between two stations. He'd focus on one voice, but the other was constantly there, tantalizing him with secret, whispered words, so he'd shift his focus. Then the other would catch his attention. 

'Sleep,' he told himself firmly. Although he shouldn't have been tired at that time of the night, the emotional release of everything they'd been through that night caught up with him. His eyes drifted downward, his body easing the long held tension from its muscles. The arm under Max going lax as the other rested comfortable on the plentiful area of his chest. Angel's head finally fell to the side as slumber claimed him. 

***** 

_He walked up to Max and Cordy's building, the flowers he was bringing them, carefully cradled in one large hand. When Cordy had called in earlier to say that she was staying home to take care of her sick roommate, Angel had been sympathetic. He'd offered to come over and relieve Cordy, so she wouldn't get sick. She'd refused on the basis that it was nine in the morning and as much of a pain in the ass he could be, she preferred receiving a paycheck to starving. He'd assured her that he'd find a way. She'd refused again, on the basis that she'd already been exposed, so she may as well stay. He'd countered that vampires didn't get sick. She'd finally admitted that Max illness seemed to make messy, ishy appearances and Max preferred to be left alone. He'd respected that. For all of nine hours._

The continuation of their weekly dates, hanging out, whatever they could call it, was too strong a lure. And, Angel reasoned to himself, visiting sick friends was a good thing to do. If Max needed to be…ishy, he simply wouldn't look. So he found himself before their building. Before he could enter, a familiar form was slipping out the door.

"Hey Cordy," he greeted easily. The brunette actually jumped a few inches off the ground as her head jerked up. She stared at him a moment, before anxiously glancing up at the evening sky. 

"Damn," he heard her mutter under her breath. "I didn't realize it was so late." He grinned slightly, wondering why she was upset. "Hey Angel!" she chirped in an overly perky voice. She glanced down at the bundle of flowers. "Are those for Max? Ah, how sweet. Give them here and I'll take them up. Then you can run along home." She fairly tried to snatch the flowers from him, but he turned away.

"What's gotten into you Cor?" his brow furrowed. Her heartbeat had picked up alarmingly. She seemed apprehensive. He let his senses reach out, but he couldn't smell anything out of the ordinary. That left only one conclusion. She was nervous of him. 

"Nothing's gotten into me, Angel," she remarked scathingly. She blew a breath out in a huff, dislodging her artfully arranged bangs. "I just thought you weren't coming over." Her tone was very pointed. Angel squirmed slightly under her intent look.

"I'm just visiting a sick friend," he shrugged, aiming for casual innocence, and failing miserably. But Cordelia did soften a little. She gave a half-smile.

"That's really sweet Angel, but Max really, and I mean really, isn't up for visitors," she stressed the words, while trying to tug on Angel's arm. He pulled away, concern all over his face. 

"How bad is she?" he asked fearfully. He was actually starting to worry. 

"It's just…the stomach flu," Cordy hesitated a moment and worry took over. She waved her hand dismissingly. "She just can't keep anything down and she doesn't have any energy. She'll be over it in a day or so. But at the moment, she doesn't want anyone around. Really Angel." She sighed at the mulish expression he wore. "Angel, really, she will be okay. Can you please just go home? I'll have her call you or something and she can tell you herself." Angel finally nodded and backed off, letting her take the flowers from him.

"So, where are you going then?" he demanded lightly. Cordy looked almost guilty.

"Uh, just to get some ginger ale," she gulped, hoping desperately that he didn't see through her little white lie. Max had promised her a long, torturous death if she let this secret slip. "You know, to help settle her stomach." Angel stared at her for a moment, recognizing the lie instantly. Cordy stared back. It was true, in a way. She was going out for supplies to keep her roommate distracted. Max had wanted beer, but Cordy had nixed that idea immediately. There were just some things you didn't mix. 

Finally Angel backed down again. He nodded. Cordy smiled and they silently walked to their respective cars. Angel climbed into his convertible as Cordy climbed into her vehicle. She watched as Angel pulled away from the curb and with a sigh of relief, started her own engine and headed for the nearest grocery store. She had quite a list to fill and Angel was pushed to the back of her mind.

With a deviousness he was proud of, Angel slowly circled the block. He made sure that Cordy was nowhere around and parked the car about half a block away, just in case. He jogged to their building and let himself in with his spare set of keys. As he approached their apartment in the complex, a new scent caught his attention. It came to him in a split second, only to disappear tantalizingly. Angel pushed his head forward as his body tensed. He sniffed carefully, trying to catch the scent again. There was something about the smell, something that his brain was screaming at him to recognize, but it hovered, elusive. He took a step forward, wondering if he should discover the source of the scent, or continue on to Max. 

His choice was taken from him as the scent came again, slightly stronger this time. His body tightened all over as he tracked it. The smell permeated his senses, filling every sense of him. It was primal, alluring, basic, raw…female. He recognized it with every sense of the maleness he possessed. Angel's brain was still screaming at him, but with an ancient skill, he shut off what he didn't want to hear. He was hunting. His prey was near, and he needed her now! But the way was blocked. With ease, he kicked at the wooden door in his way. The powerful blow splintered the frame and the door slammed open.

Max straightened up immediately at the noise, wondering who the hell could be so inconsiderate. She wasn't really shocked, as the door to her apartment slammed open. She was more interested in who was standing beyond it. She'd been thinking about him all day, ever since she'd woken up from the erotic and highly graphic dream she'd had of him. And judging by those dreams, she was at the pinnacle of her yearly cycle. The other one or two times were child's play compared to the one time a year, when everything about her was reduced to a basic level of sexual survival, where rational thought did not exist. 

She stood up from the dining room chair, a sensual smile already in place. Her eyes dilated slightly as she took in Angel's large, heaving chest as he sucked in unnecessary air. Her predatory nature responded in kind, searching the air for his scent. It was there, the blood, the spice, and the undeniable combinations that she identified him by. Her smile deepened into a grin. Rational thinking was completely shut down by her carnal desire. She needed him now!

Angel stalked forward, keeping her in his sight, prepared for anything. Females were wily. Just when one thought they were cornered, they were gone. But his need was too strong. It had been too long since it had been sated, and this female was calling to him. His leg bumped into the table as he neared her and he threw it aside distractedly, not caring as the chairs were scattered. They were just another barrier keeping him from her. He watched her throat as her pulse picked up. The closer he came, the faster it was. He clenched his teeth, not knowing which pull was stronger, the blood or the lust. With a snarling growl, he gave in too the second. He rushed at her, pleased that his chosen prey was waiting for him as was proper. 

Max felt the rush of pleasure deep in the core of her femininity at his growl. "Yes!" she hissed. She found herself scooped up by the waist as his momentum carried them on. She instinctively wrapped her legs around him as she was slammed into the wall behind her, splintering the plaster and knocking the heavy bookcase free of it's mooring. Neither noticed as the books collected there spilled out as it toppled over. With undeniable hunger, his lips fastened onto her as she threaded her fingers into his hair painfully. She was desperate not to let him escape her and her needs. He growled again, pleasure at her heat mixing with the slight pain as her nails marked him. 

Max sucked on the tongue that was thrust into her mouth. She was delighted that she could hold her breath as long as she could, but even she had limits. She broke the kiss and pulled her head back, cracking it into the wall. She ignored the slight pain as she took in his demonic visage. She trembled as her body catalogued what he offered in a mating ritual usually too deep in the subconscious to be recognized by humans. He was strong and could protect her. He was pleasing to her senses, they complimented each other. This man was destined to be her mate. Max yanked furiously at the cloth covering her modestly, finally managing to tear it loose at her collarbone. The exposed flesh caught his attention. "Bite!" she demanded harshly.

Angel didn't need to be asked twice in that moment. His senses were attuned to her. He'd catalogued her as well. A ferocious hunter, complimenting his own skill. Beautiful and perfectly formed. Her scent highly exotic, she was unlike all the other females. She brought everything he lacked to their pairing. They were each other's missing halves. And so he claimed her, his fangs sinking into her jugular vein. But even as the first satisfying sip of blood flooded his mouth, he knew that he could not endanger his mate. The perfect claiming that his body had already accepted kept him from taking much, even though her blood was so powerful that it made him lightheaded. His mark was there now, keeping all others from her. He growled momentarily as the thought of others scenting after her entered his mind. But her pleased moan brought him out of that snarling mood. 

Max had never known such pleasure was possible as he bit her. He'd claimed her, in the deeply erotic, possessive manner that her primal female self needed. Now it was time for the next step, to complete the mating. It was brutal in its intensity, but neither cared. They were driven to lust by their respective bodies. Both responded to the other on a basic level only. Impediments, clothes, furniture were destroyed in their haste for each other. Angel paused momentarily at the sight of the scar running the length of Max's chest, an intense rage settling on him that someone had hurt her in such a manner. Never remembering that is was from the ultimate sacrifice her brother had made for her. He could feel the pain radiating from the silvery white flesh and he gentled momentarily. But she quickly drew his attention back to the act their bodies were aching for. 

At the culmination, the only word Angel could speak was, "mine!" He growled it in her ear, increasing her pleasure over and over as she gave in to the declaration. She was his in every way that mattered. Her primal self recognized it as such and she reveled in it. But for a moment only. As the lust eased, she realized that there was something else that she needed to focus on. 

Angel came back to himself, the haze of lust lifting enough to see the enormity of what they'd done. Her blood was smeared all over her body. Welts across her chest. But worse, the absence of movement. Angel reached out a shaking hand, hovering slightly over her still form. "Max?" he whimpered. There was no response. "Oh God!"

***** 

Angel's eyes shot open. He panicked for a moment, before realizing where he was. He glanced down at Max's still sleeping form. But was she? He pulled his arm out from underneath her and sat up carefully. He moved to kneel on the bed beside her and watched. Her chest slowly rose, then fell. He leaned in closely, relieved beyond measure as her warm breath blew against his cheek. He sat back, tears of gratitude forming in his eyes. But she turned her head then, seeking him and his eyes fell on the obvious bite marks. He scrambled off the bed as the entire night with her played again tortuously in his brain. "Oh God!" he whimpered softly. And for the second time that night, he ran. 


	28. Two Very Different Mornings

Chapter Twenty-eight

Two Very Different Mornings

Max's eyes came open slowly as she listened to the low murmur of activity around her. She could hear the familiar voice of her father, Rupert Giles, and then the clear voice of her roommate, Cordelia Chase. She glanced about the room she was in, taking in the hotel room, the bed she lay in. The events that had led her here crept in, causing a sweet smile to wash over her face. She turned her head carefully, noting thankfully that the headache that accompanied her concussion was gone. Her ribs were still extremely sore, but she knew they'd heal up in a few days. She arched her neck, feeling the stretch of her new scar from Angel's bite mark. Her eyes roamed over the expanse of bed beside her, noting immediately that he wasn't there. Feeling the warm glow of sunlight on her body, she believed she understood why. She listened still, but couldn't hear his voice with the others. With a sigh, Max carefully swung her legs over to the edge of the bed and prepared to stand.

"What do you think you're doing?" Cordy screeched. She had been pushing a cart into the bedroom, presumably with breakfast on it. 

"I'm getting up," Max replied easily as she pushed up off the bed.

"No, you need to stay there," Cordy ordered in her most imperious tone. But Max paid no heed to her, just like usual. The battered and bruised brunette simply grinned at her friend and shakily stood. Cordy muttered under her breath before moving to steady her friend but found it was unnecessary. Max was already regaining her strength, if the smile on her face was any indication. Cordy just wasn't sure why Max had such a glowing look about her. 

"What?" Max demanded impishly, noticing the puzzlement on the other woman's face.

"I'm sorry," she spoke, her tone low. She glanced back at the bedroom door, then moved to shut it fully. "You seem to be in an awfully chipper mood for someone who was sexually assaulted last night."

"What?" it was Max's turn for incredulity. She gaped at Cordelia as her friend stared back.

"Well, I mean, that's what happened, wasn't it?" the taller woman demanded. Max stared at her, trying to decide just how much to tell her friend. After all, it wasn't as if she could just deny knowing what Cordy was talking about. She was the one that had walked in afterwards. And despite Max's feeble protests, had been the one to call for an ambulance.

"No, that's not what happened," Max scowled at Cordy. "It was mutual, thank you very much."

Cordy stared uncomprehendingly at her roommate. She finally gestured to her friend's body. "This was mutual? Mutual?" She sighed. "I didn't know I had such a nympho roommate who liked getting beat up to get her jollies."

"Cordelia!" Max squealed, her cheeks flaming at the girl's assessment of her love life. "What the hell business is it of yours how I like it?"

"Oh right," Cordy sneered. "Next time I come home to find my friend beaten and raped, I'll just leave her there, cause it's none of my business."

"Damn straight," Max jerked her head to emphasize her feelings on the matter. The two women stood, four feet apart, arms crossed, bodies tense, waiting for the other to make the first move. There was a knock on the bedroom door, but neither moved to answer. Finally Giles opened the door and peeked around, to check on them.

"I-is everything a-alright?" he managed. Neither woman moved. He came into the room fully. "Really, Max, you shouldn't be up," he lectured gently. "Lay back down and have some breakfast." He pushed the cart in further, checking underneath the domed lids, trying to decide which to offer her first.

"I'm not hungry," Max growled, still locked in a death glare with her roommate. Giles glanced up, his head bobbing back and forth between the two women. 

"You should eat something," he cajoled finally. "After that fight last night, you need to build up your strength." Cordelia's head whipped around to the older man.

"That's what you told Giles?" she screeched. "You were in a fight?"

"You weren't?" Giles queried. Max rolled her eyes before uncrossing her arms. 

"She had sex with Angel," Cordy pointed out with feigned ease. Giles gasped and sank down to the bed on suddenly numb legs. His hand went to his head, the rush of emotions making him feel physically ill. First it had been Buffy, now Max. It seemed the roller coaster of torture and mayhem that was Angelus was about to start again. 

"He could have killed you Max," Giles finally spoke, his voice thick with terror. "What the hell were you thinking?"

"Actually, I wasn't," Max ground out. "There are circumstances you don't know-!"

"I'll kill the bloody bastard," Giles growled. He spun around, muttering as he moved to his small collection of weapons. "God damned bastard. Can't keep it in his pants. Fool! Knows what happens. Damn it! Can't believe I invited him in. No wonder the pillock ran away." Cordy and Max glanced at each other. Cordy experienced the longest moment of déjà vu she'd ever had in her life, seeing Giles like that. Max was simply confused. But she knew she had to do something before Giles went off the deep end. She hurried forward into the other room and yanked the crossbow from him.

"There will be no killing," she ordered. Giles gaped at her.

"Max, you don't know what Angelus is capable of," he groaned, the mental image of Jenny, dead in his home, on his bed, flashed through his mind. He turned to Cordelia. "Didn't anyone tell her?"

"Yeah," Cordy scoffed. "Buffy and Spike gave her the whole 'moment of happiness' speech. Not that she seems to have paid attention."

"What are you talking about?" Max demanded. Then it suddenly dawned on her. "Oh crap! You mean that doing…that, is responsible for…?"

"Yup," Cordy nodded. "Angel getting groiny is a bad thing." Max stared at her helplessly for a moment. 

"But he didn't," she muttered.

"Didn't get groiny?" Cordy scoffed. Max rolled her eyes.

"No, go bad."

Giles once again stared back and forth between the two women. "I think you'd better tell me the whole story."

*****

"And that's the whole story," Angel sighed, leaning back in his seat. His gaze was locked onto some miniscule point on his desk, so he wouldn't have to see the glares and contempt of the people he considered friends. Had he looked, he would have been surprised at the almost contemplative looks on their faces. Wesley was in near ecstasy from these new revelations and couldn't wait to begin researching it. While he'd certainly come a long way from his Watcher days, there was nothing that could replace the thrill of discovery of knowledge in trying circumstances. Fred and Gunn, on the other hand, were more concerned with reassuring their friend that they understood, although they didn't really. 

"Fascinating," Wes breathed. "So, you mated with Max in every sense of the word, yet, the 'moment of true happiness' occurred and passed by with no ill effects?"

"That pretty much sums it up," Angel remarked dryly.

"Maybe it was countered by your fear that Max was dead," Fred offered quietly. "I mean, that would be pretty effective in ruining that moment."

"Uh, that was later," Angel mumbled.

"So we can probably rule that out," We surmised. "I must ask Angel, when you uh, consummated your relationship with Buffy…did you bite her?"

"No."

"Hmm," he nodded. "Well, perhaps that factors in." He turned to Fred, who was staring sadly at her friend. He was in so much pain. His guilt was already enough. She was sure he shouldn't have to contend with this as well. "Why don't we go research what we can?" Wes suggested. Fred glanced at him, then over to Gunn. The black man lifted his chin and the other two nodded. They rose from their chairs and exited Angel's office, leaving the two men to have a private talk. Gunn waited until they were gone before he leaned forward.

"Are you okay man?"

Angel glanced up. He'd heard Fred and Wes leave. He wasn't surprised that Gunn had stayed behind. He didn't really want to relive the details, but knew that Gunn wouldn't press for details again. "No, I'm not." He ran a distracted hand through his hair. "I almost killed her Gunn."

"But you didn't."

"It was close enough to scare the crap out of me."

"I'm sure it was."

"Do you have to be so agreeable?" Angel demanded, suddenly irritated. Gunn's amused chuckle told him that the other man was aware of it.

"There's not much else I can do," Gunn smiled. "I have no idea what the hell is going on. I have nothing to fight, don't know what to research and am feeling pretty useless. So I'll try my best to cheer you up. Got to have something to do." Angel smirked, just a little, but his frown returned quickly.

"I promised that I'd be with her forever," he sighed. 

"That's an easy promise for you," Gunn shrugged. "So what's the problem?"

"I can't," Angel choked out. "I can't take the chance that I might hurt her. She's already been through so much."

"Isn't it partly Max's choice to make?"

"No," Angel shook his head. "I just can't do it Gunn. I can't take the chance." Gunn sighed and rose to move around the desk. He laid a gentle hand on his friend's shoulder, but Angel didn't respond. With a shake of his head, Gunn left his friend to wallow in his misery. Something he was definitely good at.

*****

Before she told Giles all the intimate details of her freaky life, Max had insisted on taking care of a few details. She'd called her boss, Roy, to inform him of her 'accident'. He'd assured her that the new kid, Connor, could pick up the slack. Then, she'd gone to take a shower. But when Cordy had come into the bathroom to help Max wrap her ribs again, they'd discovered that the prophecy had finally faded from the girl's skin. It was this amazing moment that led them to the suppositions they were making now.

"So, if there was an addendum to the original curse," Giles was muttering, "it may have been the key to preventing the return of Angelus."

"We can only assume," Cordy drawled. Giles nodded. His mind was still whirling over the story Max had told him. And now, he could certainly understand her earlier comment about not thinking of what she was doing. Being in heat, as she put it, was beyond anything he could understand as a simple human. It disconcerted him mightily at the thought of his daughter experiencing it. It was one thing to observe and catalogue it in animals. It was a natural instinct to procreate and choose mates based on requirements stemming from protecting the herd, or whatever have you. But for a human to be reduced to that level…he shuddered. He silently thanked the powers that be that all the females of his acquaintance weren't like that.

But really, weren't they all like that to a certain extent? There was documented proof that pheromones played an important part in inter-personal relationships. Giles shook his head and then whipped his glasses off for a quick cleaning. He certainly didn't need to be going down that road. He glanced back at the women. "So, Max," he cleared his throat and shoved the glasses back on his nose. "What are you going to do then?"

"I have no idea," she smiled. "Why? What do you think I should do?"

"Well, I think our best course would be to continue working on translating the markings on your back. Willow is making some headway, I'm sure," he rambled. "But for now, I believe that it would be best if you stay away from Angel, until we ascertain that there is no danger of him losing his soul."

"Like hell I will," Max smirked. She wasn't really angry with him. She'd heard that males had a tendency to get overprotective of their daughters. She'd never experienced herself to any degree. And at this point, it was still such a novelty that she allowed it. Reveled in it. It felt good having people that cared about her. Especially when she knew that in this timeline, it wouldn't get them killed.

"Max really," Giles frowned at her. "I assure you, we've known Angel far longer than you have. I think we're in a better position to judge the danger than you are."

"Giles," Max sighed, standing and moving before him. "I get that. I understand that there are certain risks involved here. I'm not some naïve kid who's going to rebel just to prove something."

"Where have I heard that before?" he muttered darkly.

"Besides, before all of this, Angel was my friend," she continued. "And friends don't abandon each other." With a brilliant smile, she walked around him to find her jacket that Cordelia had brought with her change of clothes and essentials from home. "Anyway, I'm going to blaze. I'll hook up with you later. I got some business to take care of." And with that, she was gone. Giles glanced down at Cordelia, still seated on the hotel sofa, a look of concern on her face that mirrored his. 

"I just hope she knows what she's doing," he sighed. Cordy couldn't help but nod.


	29. Gone

Chapter Twenty-nine

Gone

Max exited the cab with a beaming grin on her face. She was only moments away from seeing Angel again. The mere thought of it had put her in such a good mood, that she was overly generous in paying off the surly cabdriver. With a mental shrug, she watched the dirty yellow vehicle speed away. With a twitch of pain in her ribs, she reminded herself not to breathe too deeply. She checked the fairly non-existent traffic in the road, then crossed to the Hyperion. She pushed open the door and entered the cool sanctuary the building offered. Fred and Wes greeted her, almost apprehensively, busy researching something. She didn't have to stretch too far to figure it out. By the looks on their faces, she knew what the topic du jour was. Her and Angel. And their big old night of sex. Max's grin turned to a smirk the closer she got to them. 

It amused her to see Fred blush deeply and duck her head. Wes watched her a moment longer then began to stammer out a greeting. She replied in kind, then leaned against the desk they were both seated at. "So, do I really have to ask what's up?" she drawled. Normally, she would have shied away from discussing her sex life. But this time around, she could see that with friends like Angel's there would be very little hidden from anyone. Cordy had been scheming to get them together in some manner and had even gone so far as to use or coerce the others to oblige. With Logan, they'd been in denial so long about their feelings, that when it finally came time to own up to it, other matters had gotten in the way. Namely, her first death. And then the poison in her system, lethal only to him, had prevented them from going any further. Not that they hadn't tried to find a way around it. But in the end, they'd both admitted that it was pretty much hopeless. Every chance they had, something had gotten in the way.

So now, having learned that tough lesson, Max wasn't about to let anything get in the way this time. And she, after the previous evening, knew that Angel felt the same way. Life was definitely looking good.

"Well Max," Wes smiled gently, "we're ah, researching the ramifications of your uh…activities from last night." He glanced away, unsure of how she'd react.

"Yeah," she scoffed good-naturedly. "That seems to be quite the hot topic in my life right now." Wes grit his teeth, not sure what to anticipate. "Don't worry. No big deal. I understand a little better what everyone is so concerned about." Before she could continue, Gunn emerged from the stairs that led up from Angel's apartment, pulling the door shut with a sharp click. He glanced up and took in Max's radiant face with a sigh.

"Hey Max," he greeted softly as he moved towards her. 

"Hey Gunn," she returned, slightly wary by his hesitant attitude. "Is everything okay?" He looked startled at the question, which Max catalogued mentally, even at his lame attempt to make her believe that all was well. She studied him a moment longer, before it dawned on her. Angel, the master of brood was probably still feeling some residual guilt. Well, she'd just have to reassure him. But before she could move to his office, she realized that Wes was talking to her.

"I hate to bring this up," he began, "but Max, I was very interested to note that Angel was under the impression that he'd killed you."

"What?" she nearly shrieked, her eyes wide as his statement sank in. "What do you mean? When was this?"

"Well, after the…the, um…act," Wes' face nearly matched the hot pink of Fred's shirt. "He informed us that afterwards, you weren't breathing, that he thought you dead." He glanced down at the desk, unable to look the woman in the face. Max cocked her head to the side, trying to determine exactly what moment Angel had referred to. She also now could pinpoint why he'd probably felt so guilty.

"Ah, that moment," she breathed. It finally clicked in her mind. "Well, see, afterwards, I was pretty sore. I kind of did this old Manticore trick so I could accurately catalogue the extent of my injuries." Three faces perked up at this new information.

"What sort of trick would that be?" Wes' eyes nearly glowed at learning something new. 

"A couple actually," Max chuckled. "Okay, this might embarrass you, but get over it. Vampire sex can be rough." She spoke so blatantly that Gunn had to smother a laugh. Fred was blushing to match Wes, but Max bulldozed on. "I let Angel bite me and you obviously know the full extent of that. Plus, I had the concussion and hurt ribs. So, I slowed down my heartbeat. Which meant I would bleed slower, which gave my body a better chance at getting healed up before bleeding to death. Along with that, I was holding my breath, which I can do for a good long while. Again, it slows the bleeding and it let me know if my lungs were in any way damaged from my ribs."

"So naturally, not breathing and no visible pulse, Angel panicked and ran," Fred surmised. Max nodded. 

"That's what I'm guessing," she agreed. "I suppose I'd better go set him straight then." She pulled away from the desk, never noticing Gunn tensing up. She slipped down the stairs; oblivious to the tension she left behind.

Angel sat on his sofa, staring blindly at the emptiness before him. After Gunn had left him, the guilt had settled in even more heavily. The memories of Max as he'd left her, both times, warred in his head. He wished he could rip his tongue straight from his head. The nasty, stupid thing was always leading him into trouble. Well, maybe not his tongue. His brain, warring with his heart. Could he function without a brain? It seemed like these last few years, he had been. Perhaps he had the purest of motives, but he certainly seemed to be pretty stupid in carrying them out. His entire time with Buffy was clear proof of that. Even before they discovered the extent of his curse, their love was doomed. Simply put, immortal vampire, death wish Slayer. And things with Cordelia weren't much better. He was so romance shy after Sunnydale, that he waited entirely too long before admitting that he'd begun to care about her. And even were she to suddenly regain her memories of the past few years, he doubted that they'd ever recapture those feelings. There were too many things between them. 

And of course there was the brief moment in time that was Darla. The most amazing miracle of his unlife had come of that union, instead of the destruction he'd wanted to wreak upon his own life. And now Max. She was definitely cut from a different cloth. Huh? Make that different reality. But there was something in her that reminded Angel of all three of the other women in his recent history. They all had fire and passion and a unique handle on who they were. Which was why Angel was convinced that he had to break it off now. He couldn't bear to see the light go out of Max as it had in the others. Didn't want to see her destroy everything he loved about her because of the mess his life was. 

He was startled out of his reverie by a soft knock on the door. He groaned quietly. Probably one of his gang checking up on him. His head fell back against the couch. "Come in," he called, knowing that it was better to get it over with rather than constantly sending them away. The door creaked open, then swung shut a moment later. Angel waited for the expected tirade, or cajoling, but it didn't come. He got what he least expected. An upside down vision of loveliness.

Max laughed as Angel jumped up from the sofa, where she'd leaned over him from behind. "Hey," she greeted softly. He stood, the couch between them, his hands shoved awkwardly in his jean pockets as he regarded her.

"Hey," he finally returned. He looked flummoxed for a moment. "What are you doing here? I thought you were resting at Giles'?"

"Nah," she grinned. "I'm fine. Well, ribs are still sore, but otherwise, I'm good." She moved around the sofa and sat comfortably. Angel stared at her for a moment before returning to his seat. Max pulled her legs up and turned so that she faced him, her legs tucked under her, Indian style. 

"I- I'm glad you feel better," he mumbled softly, not looking at her. Max tilted her head, silent warning bells beginning to go off in her head. Something was definitely not right here.

"But you don't," she went straight to the heart of the matter. "In fact, I bet you feel even worse that you did last night." She didn't need confirmation, it was written all over his face. After a long moment, he turned slightly towards her. 

"Max, last night was… it was amazing," he began shakily. He spared a quick glance at her face and saw the schooled features. Not quite mad, not exactly sad. He had a feeling that she already knew what he was going to say. And she did. As soon as she'd walked in, Max was expecting this. It filled the air, and was larger than both of them. His guilt. And it nearly made her sick that even though he was doing this, she felt the need to make it easier for him. She cared enough about him, even loved him to want to take this burden from him. So she did.

"You know, it really was," she smiled. "It was fantastic. But like I said before. No harm, no foul. I mean, it was sweet, all that stuff you said at Giles', but we both know the score. You've got your curse to deal with and this was probably some sort of one time fluke. You know? So, you know, it might be better in the long run just to not bother." She forced her face to remain calm, her breathing easy and relaxed. "Still friends though, right?"

Angel nodded; slightly dumbfounded that she was taking it so well. Suspicion grew in his mind. Had it not meant as much to her as he'd assumed it had? Even if that were true, he honestly couldn't take the chance of it happening again. So he gave in. "Yeah, still friends." She beamed at him. And he felt his heart crack just a little more. That was that. 

"Well, since that's taken care of, I gotta blaze," she grinned, uncurling her legs and standing easily. "Got to go and grovel at Roy's feet to see if I can earn my paycheck without having to cycle all over LA. I'll see ya around," she called merrily as she left his apartment. Angel didn't get a chance to reply, as the door shut softly, leaving him in the loneliness that was his life. 

Max didn't allow herself a moment, as much as she'd like to. She needed to get out of there. For her own sanity, she needed to. But still, she had to face the other three. So, she fixed the smile into a carefree grin and made her way above stairs. The three intrepid researchers were discussing matters quietly, but broke off when they heard her approach. "Hey all! I'm taking off." They just nodded at her, mute by her good cheer. Gunn had of course, filled them in on Angel's latest dilemma. 

She sauntered towards them and for all they could tell, she had not one care in the world. Max paused and glanced down at the books Wes had spread out. She tapped it once then smirked at the trio. "Don't knock yourselves out researching too much. Not like it's going to happen again." Their mouths dropped open. This was not the reaction they were expecting at all. "Any way, gonna bounce. See ya around!" And with that she strolled out of the building.

Max forced herself to keep moving until she'd finally made it a few blocks away. And then it left her. The strength to get through those minutes finally drained away. She ducked into the closest alley and leaning against the dirty brick wall, she sank to her knees and cried.

***** 

Cordelia raced into the Hyperion that evening, her eyes scanning everywhere. The lobby was deserted, so she hurried downstairs to Angel's apartment. She banged on the door, holding her breath while she waited for him to answer. He did so slowly and she pushed him aside as she entered the apartment. Her eyes took in the slightly messy living room. It looked as if Angel had gone from activity to activity. There was blood congealing in a cup on the coffee table. Half-drawn sketches littered the sofa and floor. Books were piled around haphazardly. And Angel himself looked as if he'd been constantly running distracted fingers through his hair.

"Where's Max?" she demanded finally. 

"She's not home?" he asked, immediately concerned. Cordy shook her head. "Maybe she's still at work?" he offered slowly. "She said this morning-!"

"She called Roy this morning and he let her have some time off to heal," Cordy interrupted quickly. "I stayed with Giles to help him do some research. But when I went back to the apartment…well I figured she must have come here."

"She was here this morning," Angel confirmed. "We… we really shouldn't worry Cordy. I'm sure she's fine." But the woman was already shaking her head. 

"Her room is empty," Cordy announced, a heavy feeling in her stomach. Her mouth felt dry. Her shoulders sagged. "Oh God! She's really gone."


	30. To Go Where Angels Fear To Tread

Chapter Thirty

To Go Where Angels Fear To Tread

"Gone?" Angel demanded. "What do you mean gone?" Cordy threw him an exasperated look. 

"As in cleaned out all her stuff, motorcycle gone, all that's left is a crappy note telling me that she's moving out and money to cover another month of her rent and utilities, gone," Cordelia recounted, her tone heavy with venom. Angel sighed and turned away from her. He tried to calm himself. He'd nearly panicked when she'd announced that Max was gone. But he had to remind himself that they were just 'friends'. He didn't have the right to worry over her like he initially had. His mind searched for a logical assumption for her behavior. But there didn't seem to be one. Unless she was more upset about what he had done than she'd let on and just wanted to forget all about him…them. 

"This is my fault," he sighed. He shouldn't have let her leave that morning. Not without making sure that she was okay. Not just giving in to his need to see her safe. Physically, their separation would keep her well. But on deeper levels… he'd completely ignored that and now he had a pissed of Seer on his hands. 

"Well duh!" Cordy exclaimed. She collapsed on the couch, staring up at her boss. "It hardly seems fair to blame Max when you're the one who wouldn't leave her alone, got groiny with her and didn't even have the courtesy to go 'grr'!" Angel spun around, half amused, half angered by her assessment.

"Max is mad because I didn't turn into Angelus?" he demanded incredulously. Cordy stared at him; as if surprised he hadn't come to the same conclusion.

"Well what woman wouldn't be?" she scoffed. "It doesn't speak very highly of her if you didn't get your moment of happiness," she rolled her eyes even as she said it. Angel sank down onto the couch next to her.

"But I did," he murmured, unable to look at her. "I haven't been that happy since…"

"Since Buffy?"

"Yeah."

***** 

A week passed. Angel had convinced Cordelia and the rest of the gang that Max would be fine. That she just wanted to get on with her life. Cordy was upset that Max hadn't tried to contact her, him or even Giles. And Giles was concerned, though he was the first to admit that he didn't believe that Max would naturally turn to him for comfort now. The others were philosophical about the matter to some extent. They were still interested in the technical side of Max and Angel's relationship. The prophesy, the curse, why Angelus wasn't in their midst. But it seemed reasonable that yes; Max wanted to move on. After all, in the real world people did move away and change their lives when they had a chance. It was just a foreign concept to those who lived in the world of vampires, demons, curses and the rocky roads to true love. 

The second week passed and still Cordy had the uneasy feeling that Max needed them. So she nagged and cajoled, begged, pleaded and finally threatened Angel until he agreed to find her. But that was as far as he was willing to go. Find her, make sure she was well, then he was going to respect her wishes and leave her be. 

And that was how he came to be at the LA Bike Messenger service just before closing time. He'd crept into the building, carefully avoiding the flock of mostly young adults moving past him on their bikes, making that last delivery, or heading home. He didn't really care to note the differences among them. He only cared that Max, if she were here, not see him and bolt again. He didn't see her among that crowd, so he moved in a little further. He wondered if perhaps she might be working the desk. So he approached cautiously, stopping only when a deeply familiar voice floated to his ears.

"Come on Roy," the young man chuckled. "I can't make it tomorrow. If I miss this test, my professor will kill me and I'll lose my scholarship."

"I get it Connor," an older man answered him. "I've already checked with the other kids. If you can find someone to switch or cover for you, then that's fine. If you just don't show up, then I'm afraid you'll no longer have a job. That's just the way it is kid." Angel took a step forward and saw what he'd feared. There stood his son, knapsack slung lazily over one shoulder. Connor was dressed casually in jeans and tee shirt. He looked…happy. Relaxed and confident as a teenager would when mostly all was right in his world. Angel felt a strange lump in his throat. Depression warred with joy. Here was the Connor he'd wanted. Nurtured, brave, at peace, loved, with friends, a good job, education. It was all there before him. But he hadn't been the one to provide it. With an inward sigh, he stepped forward. He had to get this over with and get out of there, lest he forget he was now a stranger to Connor and embarrass them both with a display of fatherly pride. 

"Excuse me," he tried to be confident, but there was the tiniest catch in his voice. "Um, is Max Gueverra here?" He was caught a little off guard when Connor stiffened at the sound of his voice and turned to stare at the newcomer. Did on some unconscious level, Connor remember him? The all too familiar suspicion was there in the boy's eyes. 

"Who's asking?" the man, obviously Roy, demanded. Angel tore his gaze away from his child.

"A friend," he muttered. The man's eyebrow rose up, just as suspicious as Connor. "Angel." It wasn't his imagination that both men tensed up even more.

"I got to go Roy," Connor muttered, hiking the strap of his knapsack even higher. "See ya." And with that, he bolted from the building. Angel watched him go, torn between running after him and finding out what Roy knew. Duty won out and he turned back to the man.

"Sorry man," Roy shrugged. "Max quit a few weeks back. Didn't think it was fair to me to be giving her a paycheck when she couldn't work." A slight pause. "Haven't seen her since. Didn't leave me her forwarding address."

Angel nodded. He knew instinctively that the man wouldn't tell him any more than that. And it wasn't his place to beat the information out of the poor guy for trying to protect a former employee. "Okay, well, if you do talk to her, could you have her call Cordelia or Giles. We're all worried about her."

Roy eyed the dark stranger. He noticed that he didn't include himself as a contact. With the little Roy knew of Max's troubles, he supposed that was a good thing. "Yeah," he finally agreed. "If I see her." He gave an enigmatic shrug, as if to say he doubted that that would occur. Angel nodded once then turned and left. As the door to the building closed softly behind him, the business' lights went out. Obviously Roy was closing up. But the darkness didn't bother him. It was the whisper of movement at the mouth of the alley that caught his attention. His hand automatically went to the pocket with his stake in it. He moved forward, employing his natural vampiric skills, until he heard that voice again. He stood, stock still as he listened to Connor once again speaking.

"Yeah Max, it's me," he chuckled, then began speaking again. "Yeah, that Angel guy finally showed up." He listened. "No, Roy did just as you asked. Told him you quit and hadn't seen you since." There was another pause. "Yeah I'm sure. I listened at the door. He just asked Roy to have you call if he heard from you. Someone named Cornelia Giles?" Angel stifled a laugh at that. Well, at least it answered his question about Connor remembering any of them. "Oh sorry then. Cordelia!" A longer pause. "Okay, well, I'll see you at home. I'll stop and grab some Chinese on the way." Angel's jaw tensed up. Max was living with Connor? "No I'm not. Can't a guy do something sweet without everyone assuming he wants something?" Angel's hands clenched into fists. Unbidden, the memories of Connor making love to Cordelia came to him, almost was overwhelming him. He pushed the thoughts away, forcing himself to concentrate on the matter at hand. "Yeah, okay, I'll see you soon then." With that, Connor hung up his phone and settled it into his pocket before swinging his leg over the bicycle seat and peddling away. Angel watched until he could no longer see his son. It was as if he couldn't move, locked in his memories as he was. He clearly remembered holding the newborn in his trembling hands. Overcome by the awesomeness of that miracle. And then soon after the terror when Connor had disappeared. So many conflicting emotions in the years after Connor, or Steven as he'd wanted to be known as, came back Right up to Angel's sacrifice so that Connor could have a life he deserved. 

Angel felt it all tumbling down around him again. Another woman in his life, one that he cared for more deeply than he could say, had chosen Connor over him. A little voice in his mind tried to remind Angel that it hadn't truly been Cordelia who'd been with Connor. She'd been controlled by some evil being during that time. And she certainly didn't remember it. And Max, she had no possible way of knowing that Connor was Angel's son. Finally, Angel forced himself to move. Max was safe. That was all he'd wanted to know. And Connor was okay too. Somehow, even without his intervention, things would work themselves out. Maybe not to his liking, but the world would go on turning. 

***** 

Time seemed to pass slowly for the AI group. Cordy was taking her friends seeming defection badly. It was almost as if she were grieving. She went through all the stages, denial, anger acceptance. On most days though, even the merest hint of her former roommate's name was enough to send Cordy into some rant or another. So they didn't speak of her. The others didn't understand it, but Angel did. He felt the same way a little. Max had been almost everything to Cordy. A roommate, friend, sister and suddenly she was gone. As if what they were to each other meant nothing. But Angel also understood Max. For all her life, she'd either been dictated to by her superior officers, or completely alone, on the run. She needed a measure of control over her life to combat the first half of it. And she needed freedom to keep that first half from endangering the life she did make. To him, her actions were completely understandable. But that's as far as his goodwill went. He missed her. He wanted her back. But he knew, with the curse, their basic differences, it couldn't be.

Three weeks after seeing Connor for the last time, Angel was mulling things over, again, in his office. The urge to find Max was still there, but he'd had long years of practice at tamping things down. Suppressing his own needs and wants. He was so deep in his thoughts that he actually jumped when he heard Cordelia screaming in pain. 

"Damn visions," he muttered as he hurried from his office. And there was Cordelia, collapsed on the floor, one hand to her head. Wes and Gunn knelt near her, both knowing that there was nothing they could do. Fred was already getting the acetaminophen and water for her friend. Angel paused before her, awaiting the latest information on the crisis. Tear filled eyes met his own. 

"It's Max," she whispered brokenly, wincing as the vision receded. "Her and another man. There's a demon. Grey, lots of spikes, big. And…oh God, she's hurt."

Angel closed his eyes for a brief moment. "Where are they?" He barely paid attention long enough to get the address and then he was racing to his car, never even realizing that Wes had handed him a bag of weapons, just in case. 

He pushed the speed limit well beyond its limits and arrived at a small apartment complex not far from the university campus. He could already hear the sounds of a fight in the alley behind the building. Angel yanked a sword from the bag as he leapt from the convertible. He ran towards the fight, his game face emerging as he heard Max cry out. He came around the corner and was stopped short by the sight of Max, trying to defend Connor from the approaching monster. She held herself upright, but Angel could sense that she'd already taken some damage. 

He raced forward, yelling to get the demons attention away from the duo. It worked to an extent. The demon didn't seem to fear any of them. Angel soon taught it a different lesson. He nimbly dodged and avoided the spiked attacks, trying to ply the sword. But the thick gray hide was impervious to the steel blade. So when the demon knocked it from his hands, he didn't try to recover it. It skittered over to Max and without hesitation; Connor reached down and plucked it from the ground. He was ready to defend himself and his friend if need be. 

Angel quickly decided on a plan of action. All he needed was an opening. It came, after ten more minutes of ducking, dodging and getting in a few blows. He'd tried to maneuver the demon as far from Max as possible. He didn't want her or Connor getting in the way when the demon went down, as he wasn't familiar with it. He didn't know what its death would be like. It was almost anti-climactic when he managed to kick the demon's feet out from under it and with swift, sure motions, twisting the head all the way around, ensuring that it's neck was snapped. He watched it a few moments to make sure it didn't recover. It was dead. 

Angel tried to calm himself before turning around. He could still feel his game face and he didn't really want to have to explain himself to Connor. Although, having a demon attack you was usually an eye opener. He was pretty sure that Connor had enough to deal with right now. He finally shifted back to form and turned, just in time to see Max double over in pain and collapse to the ground. 

"Max!" he and Connor both cried out. Connor dropped the sword and was at his friend's side on his knees. Angel hurried over and knelt on her other side. He could see the tears streaking down her face and now that he was closer, could smell the blood from the wounds she'd received. Angel ran his hands over her carefully, trying to figure out where she'd been hurt. But the way she was cradling her stomach was a telling point. 

"Max, how bad is it?" he asked softly. 

"Hospital," she gasped. "Now!"

It was bad.


	31. Open Mouth, Insert Foot

Chapter Thirty-one

Open Mouth, Insert Foot

Angel sped Max to the emergency room in his car. She was laying in the back seat, her head cradled in Connor's lap. Luckily, the boy was so worried about his friend, that he never noticed that he couldn't see Angel's worried countenance glancing back frequently in the rearview mirror. They pulled up to the nearest emergency room, thankfully a different hospital than the one that had treated Max and before her, Giles. Angel scooped her out of the car and with Connor hot on his heels, ran into the hospital. A nurse ran out to meet him in the waiting room. She called for a gurney and a doctor ran up. Angel and Connor both explained as best they could where she had been hurt. And with that, they professionals whisked her off to a cubicle where they could examine her further.

Angel took in Connor's pale face and trembling hands. Without a word, he led the teen to the plastic chairs that littered the walls of the waiting room. He pushed gently on his son's shoulder and Connor's body obeyed automatically. 

"Is she going to be okay?" Connor whispered up to him. Angel's heart felt a small burst of pride, seeing how concerned his son was for his friend. But Max's situation overwhelmed that feeling in moments.

"I don't know," he admitted honestly. "I hope so. We got her here as fast as we could." Carefully, he eased himself into the seat next to Connor's. "You said that that thing hit her in the stomach?"

"Yeah," Connor nodded slowly. "Knocked her down and kicked her a couple times." He glanced up at Angel, confusion on his face. "What the hell was that thing?"

"I don't know," Angel shook his head, for he wasn't sure about the breed of demon that it had been. Connor just continued to stare at the floor under his feet. 

"Thank you," he finally mumbled. "For helping Max. I, uh, I guess it's obvious that I know her. It's just, she asked me not to tell anyone that I knew where she was if they came looking."

"Hey," Angel smiled softly, waiting until Connor looked at him. "I understand. You were being a good friend. I just wanted to make sure that she was okay. Whatever she wants from me, I'll respect her wishes." Connor seemed to breathe a sigh of relief. Angel gestured to the hallway. "I'm going to call my friends and let them know what happened. I'll be back in a few minutes." Connor nodded and Angel rose up and headed for the pay phones. 

Before he reached them however, he saw Max's doctor enter the room she'd been placed in, a chart in his hands. Angel followed after him, unsurprised to see the doctor draw close a curtain, giving them a measure of privacy. He couldn't resist though, pushing open the swinging door a few inches. He just wanted to reassure himself that she would be well. Then he could pass along the news to her distraught ex-roommate. The doctor's voice drifted back to his sensitive ears.

"…seven weeks pregnant then," the doctor spoke impassively. "We'll run some tests, patch up your cuts and scrapes and I'll have the nurse bring back the ultrasound machine. Want to make sure the fetus is well." Angel pulled back, the stunning information finally sinking in. Max was pregnant? He thought back to their night together. She'd been pregnant then. And he'd nearly killed her. The thought sickened him so deeply that he fought to control his game face. The doctor slid by him, barely noticing the seething figure. 

Angel burst into the room and tore the curtain back. Max glanced up at him, her eyes wide when she realized that he'd heard what the doctor had said. "You're pregnant?" he demanded, needing her to confirm it. She gulped once, then nodded. "You were pregnant that night?"

"Angel," she whispered, her face full of guilt, but not for the reason he believed. "Can we please talk about this later?"

"No damn it!" he snarled. "We'll talk about it now. My God Max, I bit you that night. Drank your blood. I could've hurt the baby. I could've killed you. What the hell kind of an idiot are you? And tonight, facing off against a demon? What the hell were you thinking?"

"I was thinking that I didn't want to let my friend be torn apart by some vicious demon," Max shot back, angered now. 

"Why didn't you run?" he demanded. He knew that he should back off. Knew that Max wouldn't stand idly by when someone had been threatened. But the lid he'd kept over his emotions had dissolved as if dropped in a vat of acid. The surging emotions were bubbling over. Fear was at the forefront. He began to pace at the foot of her bed. She tried to sit up, but groaned and grasped her stomach. "Damn it Max, of all the stupid things I've seen in my life…"

"Don't," she warned, her voice low and trembling. "I can't do this right now Angel." She grimaced in pain. There'd been too much pain recently. She needed it to all go away. Her head was spinning from the constancy of turnarounds in her new life. "I can't do this now. Please, leave me alone."

"You want me to leave you alone?" Angel growled. "Fine Max. I'll leave you alone. Just don't ever expect me to show up and rescue you anymore. I wouldn't want to make life difficult for you by trying to do as you asked and be your friend."

"That was cheap," she gasped. 

"No," he shook his head, his anger settling bout him like a gauntlet. "Cheap implies that something has at least a little value. But with you and me, there's nothing." Before she could reply, he turned and strode rapidly from her room. He could hear her tears, but he was beyond the need to comfort her. His own pain was great. She'd betrayed him even before they had something to betray. Had been with another man while she'd been seeing him. Had endangered her child's life just to try a taste of a Vampire. He didn't let himself consider any possibility but that. 

Without a word to Connor, he burst from the emergency room and made his way to his car. The trip back to the Hotel was swift. He slammed through the hotel, not caring that his team was waiting for news. Cordelia saw immediately his anger and felt the pain radiating from him. She hurried to follow him, desperate to know what happened. The others followed, a little more reluctantly. They were loath to confront the Vampire when he was like this, but didn't want Cordy to bear the brunt of his wrath. 

Angel?" Cordy called as she followed him into his apartment. He was searching through his kitchen cupboards. At last he found the object of his search. He pulled from the shelves, a bottle of whiskey and a small glass tumbler. He twisted off the cap and poured himself a generous shot. "Angel?" she tried again. "What happened? Is Max okay?"

"Oh yeah," he snarled. "She's fine. Great even." The group shared a puzzled glance. Great did not equal pissed off Vampire. Unless they'd argued. 

"Again I say, what happened?" Cordy demanded. She was feeling mildly frustrated as Angel opted to pour himself another shot instead of answering her. "Okay, fine, where is she?"

"At the hospital," he grunted.

"Is she okay?" Fred demanded. They all knew of Max's vehement hatred of hospitals and doctors. 

"She's fine," Angel shrugged, seemingly disinterested. "Of course, the baby might not be."

"Baby?" Wes gasped. He glanced at Cordelia.

"Oh God, I didn't even see a baby in my vision," Cordy moaned. There was a fluttering in her stomach. She felt ill. If she'd only paid more attention to the others in the situation instead of focusing on Max. She began to silently berate herself, until she caught the angry look on her employer's face. "There wasn't a baby," she reasoned out slowly. "Is Max…pregnant?" The deepening anger in his face told her yes.

"Dear lord," Wes whispered. "I never thought it possible. Vampires aren't able to have children." He of course, jumped to the obvious conclusion. Angel didn't bother to correct them. He could hardly use Connor as an example.

"It's not mine," Angel spat out. "She's seven weeks pregnant." The entire group was stunned into silence. Now they understood where the anger was really coming from. Angel felt betrayed. Suddenly Cordy cocked her head to the side. 

"But that doesn't make any sense," she muttered. She began to count silently, ticking numbers off on her fingers. She turned to Fred. "Do you have a calendar handy?"

"In my day planner," Fred shrugged. "Why?"

"Roommate syndrome," was Cordy's cryptic reply. Fred nodded immediately.

"What's roommate syndrome?" Gunn demanded. He watched as the petite Texan withdrew her small day planner from her back jean pocket and flipped it open. She laid it on the counter for her and Cordy to peruse. 

"Okay," Cordy muttered, her finger skimming over the small printed monthly calendar. "That's seven weeks. I was there, so Max would have been there. That makes no sense. The doctor's wrong," she announced. 

"Wrong about what?" Angel demanded the drink still in his hand.

"Actually, doctors always are when it comes to this," Fred grinned wryly. She and Cordy shared a look of understanding, while the males looked on, perplexed. 

"Would someone kindly explain just what is going on here?" Wes demanded. Cordy sighed.

"Max couldn't be seven weeks pregnant," she explained lowly. "That was the week she had her monthly visitor." She raised her eyebrows suggestively until the males caught on to her usage of terms. 

"And how would you know that?" Gunn asked. He was by nature, a fairly earthy man, but this was a delicate subject, even for him. 

"Like I said," Cordy rolled her eyes, "roommate syndrome. See, when women live together, or work together, they develop a pattern."

"Oh yes!" Wes exclaimed, one hand shooting up into the air, as if he were an excited schoolboy, intent on sharing newfound knowledge among his lesser peers. "I recall reading a little about this subject. When many women work together, their pheromone levels determine which among them is the alpha female. She sets the pattern for the monthly cycles." He dropped his lecturing tone and turned to face Cordy. "I didn't realize that it was common among roommates." Cordy shrugged.

"That's actually just the way it happened to work out. And besides, duh! Max was in heat that night Angel. Why on earth would she be in heat if she were already pregnant?" Angel's hand slumped back to the counter, the whiskey sloshing over onto his hand. 

"A good point," Wesley nodded. All attention was back on the supposed father to be.

"But…but," he stammered for a moment. Then he resolved himself again. "The doctor clearly said that she was seven weeks pregnant." Cordy scoffed. She stabbed her finger onto the still open day planner.

"Hello!" she trilled. "Physical evidence suggests otherwise."

"And like I said," Fred smirked, " the doctors are always wrong on that score."

"What do you mean?" Angel asked quietly, a sense of dread over what he'd said and done beginning to creep up on him. 

"See, doctors always figure a pregnancy from the first day of a woman's menstrual cycle," she smirked with Cordy at the males jittery nervousness at the topic. "Every woman is different in the time it takes to be ready to conceive. Most women are ready fourteen to seventeen days after that first day. But doctors don't want to have to sit and figure that out, so they just count forty weeks from the first day. Which makes absolutely no sense. It wouldn't happen that way. I mean, what the heck do they think menstruation is about?" She shared a teasing grin with Cordelia. "It's the body's natural way of disposing of-!"

"Too much information!" Wes shouted suddenly, his face very red.

"Oh, grow up Wes," Cordy giggled. "It's a natural part of life. The only unnatural thing about this, it would seem, is that Angel, Vampire Master extraordinaire and King of the Brood, is going to be a daddy." The entire group turned to look at the suddenly paler than usual Angel.

"Oh God," he whispered.


	32. Second Chances

Chapter Thirty-two

Second Chances

"So what are you going to do about it?" Gunn asked softly. Angel was still staring straight ahead, unheeding of their words. "Angel?" The Vampire turned his head slightly. Gunn looked at the others. "I think we lost him," he smirked. The others tried to hide their smiles. Cordy sighed with impatience and took the glass Angel had been using and banged it once sharply, on the counter. The sudden loud noise snapped him out of his stunned reverie. 

"Please don't tell me that you did something incredibly male like jumping to conclusions and pissing her off?" Cordy rolled her eyes as the guilt shone through in his eyes. "You did, didn't you?" He nodded. "How bad?"

"I yelled at her," he admitted in a small voice. Cordy shifted away from the counter and crossed her arms over her chest.

"And what else?"

"I told her there was nothing between us," his voice was even smaller.

"And?"

"And that I didn't want to see her ever again," a tear formed at the corner of his eye as he finally admitted to himself the absolute mess he'd just made. 

"We'd better call in the cavalry then," Gunn whistled under his breath. "Flowers, chocolates, expensive jewelry. Boy, you're going to have to slither like a snake on it's belly and grovel like there's no tomorrow." Wes and Fred nodded their agreement with his assessment. 

"Not good enough," Cordy dismissed that plan. "Max isn't about that stuff. Not that she wouldn't enjoy it every now and then." She eyed Angel once more. "You will have to grovel. But really, don't be surprised if she stakes you on sight." Angel nodded. He wouldn't be surprised either. 

"I better go start groveling," he muttered. But before he could move, Fred's words stopped him.

"No Angel, you need to give her time," she instructed. 

"What do you mean?"

"You hurt her deeply tonight," Fred theorized. "Jumping to conclusions the way you did. She needs a chance to work through some things as well. And to know where she is at. You said earlier that the baby might not survive, since she was hurt."

"All the more reason to go see her right now," Wes interrupted. Fred shook her head.

"At this stage, there's nothing they can do to prevent a miscarriage," she explained. "But yes, someone should be with her. Cordy?"

"I'll go," the brunette nodded. She turned to her employer. "Angel, you need to figure out precisely what it is you want. No more of this back and forth. One minute you want her, the next you want nothing to do with her. Get it together, or you're going to lose it all, for good."

"It's not that simple," he groaned.

"It is," she growled, annoyed beyond belief with him. "You just don't see it." And with that she slammed her way out of his apartment and up out of the hotel. 

***** 

Angel brooded for the better part of two days. And for two long nights. But he could see no way out of his current predicament. Even if he were to go back on bended knees, begging for her forgiveness, he could not make things right with Max. He had done precisely what Cordy and Fred and the rest of them said. He'd made promises and then broken them at the first sign of hardship. He'd confused her and abused the trust she'd put in him. He realized eventually that it was a pattern he'd fallen into, beginning with Buffy. Perhaps even before that. When he'd regained his soul, not through choice, as Spike had done, everything had changed for him. He could no longer be a part of his vampiric family's world. He had to find a new place. And it was a solitary one. It all seemed to start from that point. It was easier to withdraw than have to deal with harsh realities. 

That's why he'd left Buffy. All the things he'd said to her before, that he couldn't provide the things she deserved was true. But moreover, he couldn't stand seeing someone else provide them. So he broke his promise and left her. And since that time, he'd faltered. Come back into her life, as she had his since then. It was one big self-destructive cycle. Until she'd finally had the courage to end it by choosing something else. Perhaps he was jealous that she'd had the strength to make that decision. But then, he'd always known that she was the stronger one, even though he'd initially left her. She'd more than proved it through the years. After all, she was still standing, proud, strong, full of life and love. And here he was, hidden in the shadows. Weighted down by guilt. Allowing himself to be chased back into misery by the brief flashes of life upon his unlife. 

But how to end the cycle? If only he could find the courage to embrace the things he wanted from his world. Buffy was gone from it. But Max was still there. Did he love her enough to fight for her? Was he strong enough to take the risk to put himself on the line and possibly lose her? And the baby? He'd been given the miracle of Connor He'd always believed the old adage that lightening never struck twice in the same place. And when it came to comparing Max and Buffy, it wasn't the same. He could separate what was different about them. And why his love for each woman was different. Just as his feelings for other people were different from person to person. That was easy.

But the baby was an entirely different matter. It was brand new, barely formed. Time had yet to put its finger on the little soul and corrupt it with the truth of the world. For that was what had happened to Connor. The boy had learned much to early in his life about treachery and human and demon nature. Even though he hadn't known it. And to make it all better for his son, Angel had had to make the sacrifice of giving him up. Could he do that again for this child? What was there about his life now that would keep this child safe? Granted, the things that had happened to Connor weren't likely to repeat themselves. But life was fraught with possibility and he dealt with the scum of those possibilities. 

The day seeped into evening as Angel sat brooding. His friends had abandoned him momentarily to it. It was another cycle they had adapted to. Leave the Vampire alone when he was like this. Eventually someone made an overture and if it was met with less hostility than normal, then the cycle began once again. So he wasn't very surprised when the telephone rang. He wasn't in the mood for overtures yet, so he let the machine pick up. It was Cordelia.

"Angel pick up!" her harsh tone raged over the line. "Damn it! We don't have time for your nonsense. I had another vision. Max and the baby are in danger. That demon the other night isn't the only one. There are more after her. She's in the hospital still and they're after her. Room 182 in the maternity wing. Damn it Angel! Would you please pick up!" He heard her sigh, then say to someone else, "he's not answering. I don't know what to do. They'll kill her." He heard no more as he raced for the door. There were only two thoughts in his mind as he flew to his car. The baby was okay and Max needed him.

He ran through the hospital, straight for the maternity wing, never stopping to question what he was doing. He kept his eyes open for any signs of demons, but saw none. As he hurried past the nurses station, he heard one harried women try to tell him that visiting hours were over, but he ignored her. At last he came to Max's room and burst through the door, ready to die to protect her if need be. 

To his shock, he saw simply a confused Max with Cordy sitting placidly at her side, a mocking smile on her face. "What are you doing here?" Max demanded her voice shaky with mixed emotions. She and Cordelia had been talking over her future plans. What, if anything she was going to do about the baby. She watched Angel's fearful glance take in the room at large. 

"Cordy, I'm glad you're here," he finally gasped. "How much time do we have?"

"Time for what?" Max asked, looking back and forth at the pair. Cordy gave her a sympathetic smile, then stood. 

"Come with me Angel," she answered him as she moved to the door. Angel spared Max a glance.

"Everything will be okay now," he tried to assure her before following the Seer to the hallway. He made sure the door was shut behind him before turning to face the other woman.

"I told you it was simple," Cordy began. He furrowed his brow, trying to understand what she was talking about. "There aren't any demons. I lied."

"You lied?" he was shocked, to say the least. "Why?"

"It was a test, you might say," Cordy shrugged. "I told you that Max was in danger and what was your first reaction?" They were silent a moment.

"I wanted to protect her," he answered softly. 

"And it wasn't just run of the mill helping the hopeless, was it?" Cordy continued smugly. She had Angel exactly where she wanted him. 

"No."

"Then you get your butt in there and get to groveling buster," Cordy pushed his shoulder with a smile. He flashed a grin at her. Thanks to her timely phone call, things were starting to make sense. But he sobered again when he realized how much work it would take to hopefully get things back on track. Cordy sighed as she readjusted her purse strap on her shoulder. "Angel, the sooner you get started, the sooner it will be okay." He nodded and turned back to the door. He looked at her once more.

"Thanks Cordy."

"Anytime!" And off she sashayed down the hall, congratulating herself silently on averting another disaster in her little world. 

Angel pushed the door open and peeked around the door. Max was lying on the bed, obviously uncomfortable. He eased around the door, the click of it shutting sounding louder in the stillness of the room. He forced himself to move forward, fear gripping his undead heart. The time was now. Or it was never. He knew now that he had to give everything he had, and see if there was anything left afterwards. 

"Why are you here?" Her harsh words didn't phase him. She definitely had the right to be angry with him.

"Cordy called me," he admitted hoarsely. "She said that you and the baby were in danger."

"Well, obviously not," Max hissed, turning her head away from him. "So you can just leave."

"No, I can't," he denied swiftly. Her head snapped back to him. She tried to push herself up higher in the bed and winced at the pain. He rushed to her side. "What's the matter? Is it the baby?"

"No," she moaned, her hand resting lightly on her stomach. When the pain had passed, she glared up at him. He reluctantly backed off half a step. "Oh, I get it now. You finally realized that the kid is yours. So here you are, trying to figure out how to worm your way back into my life. Must be a hell of a high for you. One of a kind Vampire gets a girl knocked up. I'm sure you'll be famous." He finally silenced her tirade with a finger to her lips. 

"That's not why I'm here," he told her. 

"Then why are you here?" she demanded again. "I'm obviously not in danger. You don't need to worry about me. So it must be the baby. Tell me I'm wrong?"

"You are," he said simply. "And you're right at the same time." It wasn't his imagination that her features slipped a little. Sadness creeping into her eyes. He shut his eyes, mentally kicking himself. But there was too much on the line to be dishonest with her. "Yes, the baby is important to me. But you're more important."

"Forgive me if I don't believe you," Max sneered, turning her head away from him again. He was quiet for a moment before moving around the bed and taking the seat that Cordy had previously occupied. "Do you know what it's like Angel?" she demanded softly, averting her eyes. But he saw the tears anyway. "To be valued for nothing more than what you can do or be for someone else? For most of my life, that's all I was. A thing for other people to use as they saw fit. And when I finally got free of that, I had to be on guard every second of every moment of my life. I can't go through that again." She was trying valiantly, but some tears were slipping free of her heavily blinking eyes. 

"I'm not asking you to," he said softly. "Somehow, you've always been important to me. Ever since you showed up in the chamber, I've been captivated by you. Everything you've showed me about yourself is amazing. Maybe it just took you getting pregnant to make me realize that I don't want to lose you."

"The baby," she scoffed. "See, once again, it wasn't me." Angel bowed his head. Then he looked back up at her to see her trying to brush the tears from her cheeks.

"It is you," he growled. He ran a frustrated hand through his hair. "And it's the baby. I hate to say this, but it's the reality of the situation. You are pregnant, I am the father. No matter what, the baby does figure into the equation."

"Would you be here if there was no baby?" she asked quietly, as if fearing his answer.

"Yes," he answered firmly. "When Cordy called, my first reaction was to protect you."

"But you can't disregard the fact that I'm pregnant," she frowned.

"No, and neither can you," Angel pointed out reasonably. "Everything you say or do is going to revolve around that fact."

"That's true," she admitted quietly. They were silent for a long moment. 

"Max, my feelings for the baby aren't what you think," he finally spoke. "You see, this isn't my first child."

"What?"

"A… while ago, I had another child," he admitted, fearful of her reaction to the story. But he had decided on full honesty. 

"What happened? Where's the kid?" Max was curious, despite herself. 

"When he was a baby," Angel's voice was thick with remembered emotion; "he was kidnapped. We finally got him back, but he'd grown up by then. The man who'd stolen him had told him things about me that weren't true. But there was too much between us for my son to ever fully trust me again. He saw what I really was and couldn't reconcile it with what he'd learned growing up. He was so confused."

"So what did you do?"

"I gave him up," he answered simply, even though it felt so much more complicated. "I made a deal and gave him the family he deserved. He has no memory of me, or any other but his new family."

"Is he happy?" Max asked softly. "Was it worth it?"

"Yeah," Angel smiled sadly. "It was definitely worth it."

Max watched him carefully. She could see the pain in his face that this subject brought. It told her so much more than she thought possible. She'd heard all these stories from Cordelia about how wonderful Angel was. Had seen some of it herself firsthand. And she could see the fear there as well. She could see it because it mirrored her own. She was scared to take the chance and face rejection. There was more at stake for her than ever before. She knew she could survive it, if things blew up in her face. She was born to survive. But did she want to take the risk that she might have to survive? She knew at once the answer. She would. Because, without reason, without prejudice, she loved this being before her. As mysterious and ethereal as that emotion was, it was hers. To share or withhold as she saw fit. But to withhold it would pervert it, making her wither and die inside. She had to take the chance. But she needed to know one more thing.

"If you had to," she began carefully, "would you give up me and the baby? If there were no other way to keep us safe?"

"In a heartbeat," he answered his eyes shut and his jaw clenched. He felt her hand brush over his face and opened his eyes to gaze up at her. "But please, don't ask me to do that now. For so many years, I've been searching for redemption. And now… the only place I want to see it, is in your eyes." Her fingers brushed over his face once more and he leaned into the caress gratefully. He kept his eyes trained on her face, hoping against hope. 

"Okay."


	33. Freely Offered

Chapter Thirty-three

Freely Offered

"So why are we going to Giles'?" Max demanded testily. Angel glanced over at her from his spot in the driver's seat. He was a little tired of the constant mood swings she'd been going through since getting out of the hospital. But he understood why she was going through them. The diagnosis of a torn abdominal muscle had severely limited Max's activities. Sometimes the slightest movement could be extremely painful for her. And it was taking longer to heal than they'd expected. Add to that the fact that morning sickness had finally reared it's ugly head, plus the need for more sleep, plus normal pregnancy hormones. It all added up to one cranky Max. It had been a long week for both of them. Angel just tried to concentrate on the fact that Max was giving him another chance. And while he made no verbal promise to her, for fear that he'd break it, he swore to himself that this time would be different. 

Connor had done as she'd asked and packed up her stuff. He brought it to the Hyperion via the use of a friend's car the morning after Max and Angel had reconciled. She'd moved in, taking over Angel's guestroom. They'd had many talks, trying to lay out some ground rules about their relationship that they could both live with. She'd conceded to the fact that she couldn't work and it was too big a risk for her to be helping him. He'd conceded to not pushing their relationship too quickly. They both came to the conclusion that a deeper intimacy level was not a good idea, for many reasons. And there was the simple matter of just having to adjust to each other's constant presence in each other's space. But Angel was determined to make it work, just like Max was, he suspected.

"Giles said that they finally cracked this prophecy," he finally answered. Max groaned and he risked another glance at her as he pulled into the hotel parking lot. She wasn't in pain that he could see.

"You know," she sighed, "I'm really getting tired of everyone knowing my business."

"I know, sweetie," he smiled. It was a familiar rant to him by now, one that he shared. "But they mean well."

"Oh by all means," Max growled. "Let's tell them every little detail about our lives, just because they mean well."

"Uh, let's not," Angel smirked. He let the car roll to a stop in the visitor's section of the lot and killed the engine. "Once this prophecy stuff is taken care of, I fully intend to go back to having some privacy."

"Amen to that," Max giggled, her mood shifting rapidly, as it was wont to do these days. "I don't think Giles needs the details of our little session on the couch last night." Angel returned her smile, even as his body tightened painfully at the reminder. It was difficult to remember their rules, especially with her so near all the time. He wanted her badly. But on the off chance that the one night was a fluke, they refrained from going that far again. He swung out of the car and moved around to help her out. She stifled a groan as her hand went to her stomach, but managed to stay upright. 

Angel knew better than to try and take over with her. At first she blew off all his attempts to help her when she was in pain. But slowly, she'd learned to ask for his help when she needed it. This time, it was just a twinge. So they made their way up to Giles' room, where the gang was awaiting them. Angel knocked on the door and Willow answered it. She smiled brightly when she saw the pair. By the look on her face, she obviously had good news for them.

"Hey Angel," she grinned. She moved forward to give him a small hug before turning to Max. "Max, how are you?"

"I'm sore, cranky, tired and I need to pee," she answered honestly. Willow's face fell for a moment, before she pasted the smile back on and moved out of the pregnant woman's way. Max made a beeline for the bathroom, shutting the rest of them out. 

"Willow?" Angel asked gently. "Are you okay?" She waved a dismissive hand.

"I'm sorry," she shrugged. "She just reminded me of Anya, all outspoken like that." Angel nodded slowly. He didn't know the ex-demon all that well. "I never thought I'd miss her this much." Willow's girlfriend, Kennedy, moved to her side and whispered in her ear. Willow nodded and followed her girlfriend back to the sofa. Angel followed and acknowledged the rest of the group. Wes and Giles, seated with their heads together, briefly glanced up and nodded at him. It still amused the others to see how alike the two men could be, for all their differences. Cordy was chatting with Fred as Gunn stood, looking out the window at the city below. 

"Buffy and Spike couldn't make it?" Angel asked easily. This last week had done another thing. It had greatly eased his feelings about that pair.

"They'll be back in town at the end of the week," Cordy answered. Angel nodded. It didn't really matter if they were here. They had their own happily ever after to deal with. Max finally emerged and took a seat beside Angel. 

"So what's the dealio?" she demanded, looking about the room.

"W-well," Giles answered first. "We seem to finally have some answers. Thanks to Willow's research." The redhead gave the room a cute wave as everyone looked to her. 

"Well then, let's hear it."

"First of all," Giles naturally took the lead, as he usually did in these matters, "Buffy was correct. It was Angel's curse. The reason it took so long for us to decipher was because it wasn't in the form we were familiar with."

"What does that mean?" Angel was confused. Buffy had recognized it easily enough.

"Well you see," Wes broke in, "language evolves. And magical terms and usage are no different. The gypsies that cursed you originally appeared to have taken the curse from a much earlier time in their culture."

"And this is important how?" Cordelia demanded. 

"Well, you see," Willow took up the thread now, "words that we say now, would have a much different meaning from a hundred years ago. The most obvious thing I always think of is the word stoned. To us it means someone who's been using drugs. But in the olden days, it meant someone who'd been outcast and had stones thrown at him or her."

"And there were discrepancies in the curse?" Angel asked, wondering which they had been.

"Some," Willow allowed. "The most glaring one was the happiness clause."

"What do you mean?" 

"True happiness," Willow frowned. "In the Romany language one hundred years ago, that was what that phrase meant. But going back to when the curse originated, it meant something different." The room seemed to hold a collective breath. "The nearest meaning we can come up with is happiness of a selfish nature. Which makes a lot more sense when you consider the consequences."

"Yeah, it does," Angel mumbled. He clearly remembered the moment on Buffy's seventeenth birthday. He'd been reflecting on the precious gift he'd been given by her love and the utter contentment that had filled him. A precursor to the burning pain of the loss of his soul. 

"But we don't have to worry about that anymore," Willow chuckled. Angel's head snapped up.

"What?"

"It seems Angel," Wes had a huge grin on his face, as did the others, except for Max, "that your soul is now bound."

"It is?" he whispered, stunned. "Are you sure?"

"As sure as we can be?" Giles laughed. "And again, the reason it took so long for us to tell you was because we wanted to be sure."

"No it's not," Cordy sighed. "We just all had to get together and brainstorm before we realized what was going on."

"Huh?" That from Max.

"Well, we certainly all had our own theories about that night," Wes offered, shifting uneasily in his seat. "But we had to put those theories together, along with Willow's explanation about magical laws and principles."

"Still on the huh," Max sighed. 

"I think she means simple English, English," Gunn grunted, amused at his small joke about Wesley's heritage. 

"Yes quite," Wes nodded, used to Gunn's way of speaking. "There was indeed more to the curse than we originally thought." He flipped through some notes until he found what he was looking for. "There was the curse, which we thought was entire. But it wasn't. Willow discovered the entire curse, predating the gypsies that cursed you. And it matched up with what appeared on Max's skin. The rest read _'By the blood of the purest innocent, freely offered, Shall his soul be his own, forever bound Neither shattered nor lost, only his shall it be By the blood of the purest innocent, who shall came unbidden'_." There was silence, until Willow finally broke it.

"You see, in magic, there has to be balance,' she explained, her voice rising in her excitement. "In the curse, you could either lose it permanently, or keep it permanently. It all depended on your actions. If you fulfilled the requirements of selfish happiness, you lost your soul. If you were given blood freely, you kept your soul." She glanced at Giles sheepishly. "I'm still researching on precisely why it was those restrictions. You'd think it would be the other way around. They wanted Angel to suffer, yet they made it easy for him to lose the soul."

"Ah, yes," Giles interrupted her musings. "That's a valid point, but not relevant to the precise moment. Enough to say that it has occurred and move on."

"The blood of the purest innocent," Max said softly. Angel noticed that she was absentmindedly rubbing her stomach. His hand itched to follow hers, but he managed to contain himself. 

"That would be you," Cordy grinned as she leaned towards her friend. Max glanced up, slightly puzzled.

"Yes," Wes continued the explanation. "We realized, thanks to Cordy's revelation that you offered your blood to Angel, that you were fulfilling that part of the curse. And when we brainstormed enough, we finally came to realize that your blood is purely innocent."

"How do you figure that?" Angel asked.

"Well, we concentrated on the words 'pure' and 'innocent'," Fred explained. "The first thing that came to mind was a baby. That was the purest thing we could think of. But at first we were thinking of terms of a more spiritual manner. When that didn't seemed likely, Willow suggested that maybe it was physical. In this world, as soon as a baby draws breath, it becomes contaminated. It begins the road to its ultimate destination, which is death," she shuddered delicately. It was not a light topic. "So that led us to thinking of a child that was still enwombed. But that was too horrible an act to contemplate." Angel nodded. He didn't want to think along those lines at all. 

"And then we remembered about that night in Mr. Giles hospital room," Kennedy broke in finally. "Max carries the blood of an enwombed child all through her body."

"The stem cells?" Max whispered. The group nodded. Max grew contemplative for a moment. "Is that everything then?" 

"It seems to be," Giles nodded. "Angel's soul is bound. According to the curse, it can't be lost or broken in any way. So you have nothing to fear there." Max carefully stood up, ever mindful of her stomach. Giles stood as well, so she wouldn't have to lean over him. She slid her arms around his waist in a rare gesture and squeezed quickly. 

"Thank you," she smiled into his chest. He returned the squeeze, the pleasure at the contact visible on his face. They moved back from one another. 

"Anything for you Max," he smiled. 

"You keep saying that," she mentioned, her brow furrowed. Giles whipped his glasses from his face as the ever-present handkerchief made its presence known.

"Yes, I suppose I do," he agreed mildly, making no effort to enlighten her as to why. She poked him lightly in the shoulder, before turning back to where she'd been seated. 

"Angel, can we go home now?" she asked in a small voice. Angel looked up at her, immensely pleased when she said home. It was a good step for them, that she considered his apartment her home now. He realized then that he was trying to focus on something other than the information just imparted to them. His soul was his. The curse gone. One specific activity was now his to enjoy freely. But there were those damn restrictions they'd imposed on themselves. 

"Yeah, of course baby," he answered easily, standing as well. She smiled then turned to the room at large.

"Thanks everyone," her voice was still small. "We'd stay and celebrate with you, but I'm a little tired." She waited as Angel expressed his gratitude as well. It did not escape either of their attention that everyone was watching them in a decidedly sappy manner. They left the hotel room as the inner occupants burst into excited chatter, speculating about what the couple was really going to do. 

_'Fat lot they know,'_ Angel thought to himself. As they waited for the elevator, he allowed his glance to drift down tot he woman t his side. She seemed almost to glow. He couldn't help but grin at the look on her face. "What are you thinking?"

"I am thinking," she peeked up impishly at him, "that you'd better drive fast. I'm suddenly in the mood to be made love to." She slipped into the now open elevator and turned to face him. She giggled at the stunned look on his face. 

"Are you sure?" he finally managed to gasp. She nodded. _'Okay, maybe they do know something.'_ He hurried into the elevator and before his lips descended on hers, whispered, "anything for you, Max."


	34. Bonding

Chapter Thirty-four

Bonding

Angel and Max relaxed together in the afterglow of their lovemaking. They'd been careful, because of Max's stomach and the baby, but it had been satisfying for both of them. For Angel, it was a freedom he hadn't known before. Of all the restrictions on his life, the lack of this kind of connection was the largest. It wasn't the sex, but the ability to bond with another person in the most physically intimate manner. His every sense had come alive while he made love to Max. And he realized more keenly how empty his life had been before. But for Max, it was a brand new experience. In all her life, sex had been an activity of little importance. She'd lost her virginity to a teenage boyfriend, just so she'd be rid of that annoyance. And once she'd done that, she didn't tend to think of it as anything great. Eventually, she'd discovered a few boyfriends who had some skill. But the act had either been done for lack of anything better to do, or as the result of her estrus cycle. 

The closest she'd ever come to feeling this way had been Logan. And while she'd certainly felt a certain feminine thrill when she was with him, it didn't encapsulate this new feeling. With Angel, she felt loved, precious, tender, worshipped. Her every sense was filled by him. She'd watched him, listened to the words he'd whispered in her ears, tasted the combined salty tang of their skin as they came together. The heady scent was almost too much for her finely tuned body. And his touch, it seemed as if there was no part of her that he'd left untouched. Body and soul, it was now connected to him. She felt as if she could lay this way with him forever. If it weren't for one small nagging detail. 

She groaned softly. Angel levered himself up onto one elbow to stare down at her. "You okay?" he asked tenderly. His hand crept toward her stomach, worried that the trouble was centered there. With unexpected, on his part, speed, Max lightly knocked his hand away.

"Ooh, no touchy," she moaned. She glanced up at him, her face softening when she saw the hurt look on his face. "Sorry. Sudden bathroom urge," she explained. His face lightened into a grin. He climbed to his knees to help her up. They'd learned quickly that sitting up was excruciatingly tough and a painful chore for her still. So Angel grasped her shoulders and pulled her up, keeping her from straining her muscles. 

Max, feeling suddenly shy, for reasons she didn't want to explore, glanced around for something to cover herself with. Angel, in a moment of clear synchronicity with her, jumped from the bed and pulled a robe out of his closet. He brought it to her and was rewarded with a grateful smile. She hurried to the bathroom and Angel busied himself with straightening the bedsheets. They'd certainly made a tangle of them. When Max emerged, she crawled across the bed and molded herself along his length, the blankets and robe, all that was between them.

"Angel?" she whispered into his chest. He glanced down at her, lazily waiting. She looked up into his eyes, her brown eyes large and appealing. "I'm hungry." A leering grin broke out on his face. She rolled her eyes and smacked his stomach lightly. "Really! I need food!"

Angel chuckled. "Okay baby, what would you like?"

"Pizza!"

Angel eyed her with a wary gaze. "Do you really want something so spicy? Especially right now?"

Max shrugged. "If it's destined to come back to haunt me, I might as well make it interesting." He didn't seem convinced. "Please?" she added softly. Angel sighed. "I'll even compromise. A Hawaiian with that mild sauce. No green peppers and onions. Ham's not so spicy."

"All right," Angel finally agreed. He moved to find the phone and the phone book. But as he moved about the room, it hit him suddenly. He turned back to Max. "That felt good."

"What was that?" she asked, a teasing grin on her face.

"We just worked something out," he explained, "without a big struggle, no arguments, just a discussion."

"It's just pizza," she teased. "You've got me in a good mood." He came back to the bed for a quick kiss.

"I like this mood," he whispered. 

"I do too."

After their pizza-fest, they made love once more. Max fell asleep first. Angel enjoyed watching her and was finally able to give in to his urge to caress her stomach as he did. Just to feel the wonder and fantasize about the new life they'd created together. Finally, towards dawn, he drifted off as well, one arm draped protectively across Max's still taut abdomen.

***** 

"Why do I have to tell him?" Max demanded, ignoring the hand that held out her coat for her.

"Because he's your father," came the gentle but unamused answer.

"Isn't it your responsibility as the father-to-be to come with me and face up to your manly responsibilities?" she pouted. Angel glanced toward the clock on the wall. 

"Baby," he sighed, his hand with her coat dropping to his side, "it's ten o'clock in the morning. Do you hate me or something?"

"No," Max rolled her eyes. "But tell me again whose bright idea this was?"

"Yours."

"Ha!" she snorted. "Idiotic pregnancy hormones making me do crazy things."

Angel pulled her close for a gentle embrace. He dropped a kiss on the top of her head. "Max, if you want me to go with you, I will. All you have to do is say the word." She leaned back to stare up into his eyes. 

"I know," she grinned. "I just don't know what he's going to do. Last time he heard something unexpected about you, I had to yank a crossbow from his hands" Angel's eyes widened.

"You didn't tell me about that."

"Slipped my mind."

"Oh God," Angel gulped, going slightly paler than normal. "Giles is going to kill me."

"Yep," Max chirped a crooked grin on her face. "Better start running now." She glanced up at the clock as well. "Oops, looks like you're out of luck buddy." She pulled her coat from Angel's slack hand "I'll see you later." With that, she slipped from their apartment and off to Giles' hotel room.

***** 

She knocked on Giles' door and was surprised that it was answered so promptly. Giles gave her a huge grin and stepped back to allow her entry. She nervously stepped in and made her way to the sofa. Giles followed, taking a seat not far from her.

"Max, are you all right?" he could sense that things weren't well. "Is your stomach troubling you?" She almost burst out with nervous laughter at his innocent question. 

"No," she finally managed. "It's okay. Um, I did need to talk to you though." She paused, really unsure how he was going to take this news. And on the heels of that thought, why she was even telling him? It wasn't as if he were her real father. "About Angel and I." She glanced up at him then to see him looking at everything but her. His glasses had already been pulled off and the handkerchief would be next. 

"You and Angel hmm?" Giles strove to keep his tone light. But in the past, those had never been good words. "I'm not sure I want to know," he sighed. Max smiled ruefully. 

"Well," she chuckled, "it'll be hard to keep secret a few months from now." She eyed him suggestively, trying to prompt him along without actually saying the words. But he remained determinedly unenlightened. "I'm pregnant."

The announcement had the desired effect. Giles gaped at her like a fish out of water. He was so stunned, his glasses slipped from his fingers, completely forgotten to fall on the plush carpet of his suite. Max waited for long minutes on end, but still nothing was forthcoming. She waved a hand in front of his face, but nothing. She snapped her fingers a couple of times and he finally came out of hi stupor. 

"P-pregnant?" he stammered. "You a-and Angel?"

"Well, just me," she teased gently. "But yes, he had a part in it." She was mildly amused as the handkerchief finally came out, only to see her father flummoxed by his missing glasses. She pointed at the floor and with a bright blush, he bent over to retrieve them. 

"Ah?" he still didn't seem to be taking it all in. "Would you care for some tea? Highly relaxing beverage. Good for stressful times. Must see if I can find a decent Darjeeling blend in this blasted town. Of course I have Earl Grey. What kind of Englishman would I be without that? Do you care for Earl Grey? I could ring for some right now." Max had to smother a giggle. She'd never seen anyone this flustered. 

"Tea would be nice," she agreed mildly. She realized that he definitely needed time to acclimate to this news. He moved to the telephone, but seemed to forget why the moment the receiver was in his hands. Max took pity on him and moved to take it away from him. She dialed down to the desk and asked to be transferred to room service. Once she'd ordered the tea and cookies, she hung up and guided Giles back to the chair he'd sat in before. "Are you going to say anything?"

"Hmm? Oh, yes, tea. They make so many different types now," he babbled on. "They are black teas and green teas and oolongs. Mustn't forget those."

"About the baby?" she interrupted softly. Giles sighed and rubbed distracted fingers over his now closed eyes. 

"Honestly," Giles shook his head. "I don't know what to say."

"Just tell me what you're feeling right this very second," Max urged. 

"Right this very second?" Giles demanded. Max nodded. "Right this very second, I want to track Angel down and beat him to a bloody pulp for doing this to my little girl." Despite herself, Max felt her insides melt a little at this show of fatherly devotion. "I also want to spin you around, until we're both dizzy just from sheer pleasure. And then I want to find a shotgun and a minister." Max laughed sharply at that one. 

"I think that would be kind of pointless," she giggled. "Angel and I don't really exist. He's over 200 years old and technically speaking, I'm four. Plus, no real papers."

"Oh, don't tell me that Angel has no plans…" he trailed off, a disgusted look on his face. Max ducked her head and blushed.

"Actually, after that night, I already kind of feel that way with him," she muttered, unable to describe the feelings she'd experienced during their initial mating. She didn't know enough about Vampires to say similarly about Angel. She looked up to see Giles studying her. 

"Are you happy?" he asked seriously. And all she could do was nod. With gentle humor, he accepted that. "Then I'm happy for you." A slight pause. "Although I have no idea what to bloody expect. I had no idea that Vampires could father children." Max refrained from replying. It was another common theme she'd heard the past few days. She scooted to the edge of the sofa.

"Thank you," she spoke sincerely. His opinion and feelings were becoming more important to her every day. She ducked her head. "All of a sudden, when I found out, I really wanted, more than any other time in my life for my mom to be here with me. And I know now, I'm never going to have that. But I feel, that maybe, when we found each other… I got something even better." It was a tough admission for the loner, the one who never needed anybody. And Giles immediately recognized it as such. 

"My life changed for the better when you came into it," he admitted, just as softly. "Even though I myself did absolutely nothing to warrant such a gift, I am humbled to receive it and cherish it as such." Max stared at him, as tears crept down her cheeks. She sniffled once and was offered his beloved handkerchief. 

"Stupid darn pregnancy hormones," she sniffled. Then she laughed and her father laughed right along with her. 

***** 

Max had a jaunty bounce in her step as she returned home. She slipped into the hotel and was informed by a suddenly smiling Cordy that Angel was in his office. She knocked once on the door and then peeked in. "Hey!" she greeted him quietly. He glanced up from the paperwork on his desk and a broad grin replaced the previous scowl.

"Hey," he stood and skirted the desk to envelop her in a hug. "How did it go?"

"Good," she replied into his chest. She pulled back with a mischievous grin. "He only wants to kill you a little." She chuckled when he shuddered.

"Better a little than a lot, I guess," he sighed. 

"Yeah," she agreed. "But it was nice. We had tea and bonded."

"That's great." He let her slip loose to remove her coat. 

"Oh hey," she threw the coat on one of his chairs and then turned to face him enthusiastically again. "Remember that friend of mine, Connor? I talked to him today and if you don't mind, I invited him and his girlfriend over for dinner on… Angel, are you okay?" He'd taken a nervous step backwards. His eyes were almost wild.

"I'm okay," he hurriedly covered. Max just stared at him, her mind feverishly working.

"Oh my God," she breathed, suddenly understanding. All the times the boy's name was mentioned. Angel's reaction every time. "He's the one. Connor's your son."


	35. Whistler's News

Chapter Thirty-five

Whistler's News

"What do you mean?" Angel tried to cover himself, but the intent look in Max's eyes told him it wasn't enough. He backed up a little until his thighs hit the edge of his desk. He sank against the firm wood, a little in shock.

"I mean Connor is the son you gave up, isn't he?" Max prodded gently. Angel glanced away, then turned his gaze to look at her feet. He nodded slowly. "Oh wow," she breathed. It had all just suddenly clicked together. The way Angel avoided saying his son's name, the way he'd acted around the teen when Connor had brought her belongings over. Connor even had the look of Angel about him. And their smell was similar. That was a strange one, but Max just attributed it to her feline enhanced DNA. 

"How did you know?" Angel mumbled, shaking his head. 

"Things just added up all of a sudden," Max sighed. "You know, I aced my theory and probability classes at Manticore," she teased. "I am brilliant when it comes to connecting the dots."

"Obviously," he gave he a small grin. She moved closer to him, and ran her hand down his arm comfortingly. He wrapped his arms around her and rested his head on her shoulder. With a small sigh, he admitted, "I just didn't think I would give him up and then end up running into him every time I turn around." Max chuckled softly.

"Maybe these Powers of yours are trying to tell you something," she turned his earlier words on him. "That maybe Connor is supposed to be in your life."

"I don't know," Angel admitted. "I just thought that I was doing the right thing, giving him up. Letting him start over."

"And that's exactly the chance you have now," Max pointed out reasonably. "Connor and you have no history now. He's coming at you with no preconceived notions… well, except the ones he seems to have picked up from me."

"Uh oh," he drew his head up to look her full in the face. "Why don't I like the sound of that?"

"Oh, it's not bad," Max frowned. "I told him that you were my ex-roommate's boss. A nice guy."

"Really?"

"Really!" she laughed. "Well, I may have ranted about you a couple of times. But I'm sure he knew I was just blowing off steam."

Angel gave her a hard glare. "What exactly did you say about me?" She kept her mouth closed, refusing to answer. "Max?" he growled in mock warning. "Tell me." She shook her head. He growled even louder and she quickly backed away. He gave chase for a short run around the office before he caught her. She squealed as his arms trapped her gently and he lowered his head to her ear. "Tell me," he whispered before nibbling at her lobe. She giggled and tried to shake her head again. He proceeded to take light, nipping kisses down the column of her throat. She moaned softly as his hands traveled down her back to rest lightly on her hips. He brought his face up and met her lips, brushing softly against them until they fell open. His tongue darted in quickly as his hands rubbed over her ass and lower back in slow circles. 

"Hello!" came Cordy's strident voice. "The door may be closed, but I can still hear you!" Angel broke off the kiss with an exaggerated sigh. "Some of us are trying to work you know!" He rolled his eyes and released Max to stride swiftly for the door. He yanked it open and leaned out to stare at the overly cheerful ex-cheerleader.

"Cor, take the rest of the day off!" he growled. She grinned and held up the purse she'd already pulled from her little cubbyhole. 

"On my way," she laughed. "Bye Max!"

"Bye Cordy!" her friend called back. Then the door was shut again. Cordy walked into the warm sunshine of the day, giggling, still patting herself on the back for the wonderful coup she'd pulled off. She honestly hadn't heard a thing, but she knew what they were up to. She figured that if Angel could play hooky from work, so could she. 

Angel leaned against the closed door, staring at Max from under hooded eyes. "So, where were we?" Max smirked at him and moved towards him, her body fluid and seductive. He opened his arms to her and she slipped in, both of them feeling at once how comfortable and right it seemed. 

"We were talking about dinner, Friday, with Connor and Alyssa," she spoke huskily as she trailed one finger down his broad, cloth-covered chest. She stopped right above his belt buckle and glanced up at him. "So, is it on?"

Angel grit his teeth, his member already hard and straining at the fabric of his slacks. It still amazed him how quickly her husky little bedroom voice could turn him on. "Yeah, it's on," he agreed. He pushed his concerns to the back of his head. He'd deal with meeting and spending time with Connor later. Right now, he had other matters to attend to. Like the matter of Max undoing his belt buckle and sliding down his body to bring about a pleasurable torment he'd gladly suffer every day.

***** 

Dinner with Connor and his girlfriend went amazingly well. Angel was understandably nervous about spending more than a few minutes with his son. Max understood surprisingly well. He'd talked to her about his fears and his hopes in the days leading up to the event. She just quietly encouraged him to be himself. Reminding him patiently that it was a fresh start. And when the time finally came, it was easy. Connor and Alyssa arrived, right at seven. The hotel and the fact that Angel owned it awed them. Alyssa, who'd met Max before was comfortable enough with her to chatter about school and the part time job she had. Connor, after a few moments hesitation, broached the subject of Max with Angel. After he'd ascertained that she was happy in her choice and that Angel was treating her well, he'd relaxed as well.

Angel had prepared a scrumptious dinner and Max was able to introduce subjects that everyone was able to converse on. Angel was surprised to find that Alyssa was declaring art history as her major. So there was plenty for them to talk about. Connor let slip that he was leaning toward criminology for his studies. And he was thrilled that Angel was a private investigator. Max was able to sneak into that conversation and hint broadly to the young man that Angel hunted things like that 'nasty guy that mugged us'. It stunned Connor for a moment, to consider that there were more things that went bump in the night than he'd believed, but it amped up his admiration for the man even more. 

Alyssa had also entertained them with descriptions of the first time they found themselves in a karate class. Connor, highly embarrassed over his lack of grace, kept trying to change the subject. Angel finally took pity on him, declaring that he felt less than graceful the first time he tried tai chi. That led to an argument over the superior form of martial arts. When Max's opinion was asked, she declared herself a 'free style kick ass artist'. 

The evening finally came to an end with promises to get together again. After closing the main hotel doors behind the young couple, Angel had swooped Max up in his arms. "Thank you," he whispered in her ear. "I don't know what I did to deserve you…"

"About the same thing I did to deserve you?" she asked teasingly. It was a mystery to them both why things had ended up the way they did. But it was enough for them to just enjoy it now. Angel let her body slide down his and tipped his head down for a kiss. She accepted it easily as his body shifted to begin walking them towards the basement access. Unfortunately, they were interrupted by a sharp knock at the main door. Angel growled as he lifted his head. 

"Who the hell could that be?" he demanded. His staff had keys to the main door, but they'd all assured him that they had plans, separately, for the evening and weren't likely to be back. 

"It's probably Connor and Alyssa," Max answered reasonably. "They probably forgot something." She slipped from his grasp and turned to head downstairs. "I'll go look and see. I can't think of anyone else, can you?"

"No," Angel answered, his ire cooling now that he thought about it. He moved back to the door, quickly releasing the deadbolt and pulling one door open. But to his surprise, it wasn't either of the teens standing before him.

"Hello Peaches," Spike grinned. He still enjoyed the sight of the dumbfounded Angel. But the Vampire recovered quickly.

"Spike? What are you doing here?" He was confused for a moment until he saw Buffy behind her lover. Today was the day that Giles said they'd be back in town. "Why are you here so late?"

"Um, Angel," Buffy chuckled. "It's only nine thirty."

"Yeah mate," Spike chirped. "That's early for us blokes." They all stared at each other, unsure what to say next. Finally Angel recovered his manners and stepped back from the door. The duo entered, but as Angel was about to close the door, a flash of lime green caught his eye. He yanked the door open wider.

"Whistler too?" he demanded. The little balance demon gave him a wide grin.

"Hey Angel boy," he greeted brightly. "The slayers were kind enough to give me a lift over here."

"Coerce much?" Buffy muttered. "He says he's got a message." She eyed the demon warily, still not trusting him fully.

"Well?" Angel sighed, turning to him and waiting expectantly. "What is it?"

"Jeez," Whistler's grin did not falter. "Ain't ya even gonna offer me a drink?"

"No."

"Well, my throat's really parched," the demon whined. Angel rolled his eyes and turned to lead them to his apartment. The door was ajar and Angel knew that Max was already down here. Before he could call out for her, Spike spoke.

"So, I hear congratulations are in order," the pale man smirked. Angel turned a baleful stare at him. 

"Congratulations about what?" he asked suspiciously. Spike just shrugged.

"Giles told us about your soul," Buffy explained. Angel could tell right away that she seemed to be a little bit sad. Perhaps because she wasn't the one that restored it. 

"Oh," he was slightly relieved that that was all Giles had told them. He wasn't sure that he wanted to deal with informing Buffy that he'd gotten Max pregnant. And just then, she emerged from the bathroom.

"I didn't see anything left behind Angel," she was saying, before realizing that they had new company. She took in Spike and Buffy, but when her gaze fell to Whistler, she unconsciously began to growl. Whistler watched her for a moment before turning his smirking face to Angel.

"I gotta tell you man, you sure know how to pick 'em." 

"You know this thing?" Max demanded. Angel moved to comfort her, unsure why she was reacting in such a manner. He'd never heard her growl before and in a purely random moment, found it sexy as hell. He could see her at her basest level, a strong, independent lioness, protecting her home from an unwelcome intrusion. Yeah, very sexy. 

"Max," he spoke soothingly, "this is Whistler. H's a good demon."

"Really?" she asked skeptically. He nodded. She arched her eyebrow and sniffed, then turned back to the demon. "The clothes should have been the first give away."

"You think my clothes mark me as good or evil?" Whistler chuckled.

"No, I mean you should give them away," Max snorted. "They'll cause an accident, if they haven't already." She turned to the others. "So what's the dealio?"

"Ask him," Buffy pointed at the demon. "We just gave him a ride." Max sighed and everyone turned back to the demon. 

"I just came to pass along a message," he shrugged. "My congrats big guy," he smiled at Angel. Angel just nodded and motioned for him to get on with it. "Well, this is kind of a private thing." Angel frowned at him then walked towards the bedroom. "Not you," Whistler's voice stopped him cold. "For Max."

Four voices erupted, wondering to different degrees what he could possibly have to say to Max. Spike wasn't all that concerned, just pissed that the little git was using them in some way. Buffy knew that a really big mess usually accompanied a message from Whistler. And Angel, who'd known Whistler longest of the group, was more than ready to keep his mate out of the potential crossfire of the next apocalypse. Max, just wondered softly what new curveball was being thrown her way. While the others threw useless questions at Whistler, which he refused to answer, she moved to the bedroom. She jerked her head and the demon hurriedly came forth. She shut the door behind them as the outer room descended into silence. 

It didn't take long for him to deliver his message. He emerged from the room in less than ten minutes. He shut the door behind himself, leaving Max to herself. He threw an amused glance at Buffy. "It's nice to see that some people are willing to listen, rather than bombard me with threats and stupid questions." He turned to Angel. "Give her a few minutes, big guy." Angel nodded reluctantly. "Well, time to go!" He ushered Buffy and Spike towards the door and Angel trailed after to lock up once more. 

But the wily demon had one more parting shot. After the trio had climbed into Spike's beloved DeSoto, he rolled down the back window and stuck his head out. "Hey man, I almost forgot. Congrats on the baby! You and Max'll make good parents." Angel scowled fiercely when he saw Buffy's head whip around to stare uncomprehendingly at the balance demon. Angel hurriedly shut and locked the door as he heard her surprised screech. He rested his head against the door, listening with relief as Spike pulled away from the curb. He'd deal with them later. But first, he needed to check on Max.

She was still sitting on their bed, staring distractedly at her clenched hands. Angel approached the far side of the bed and crawled across it, trying not to jar her. He settled in beside her, wrapping one arm around her and pulling her close. He rested her head on his chest, stretching her legs out. "What did he say?" he asked softly.

"He isn't dead," she muttered monotonously. Angel's mind leapt. Who wasn't dead? Was it Case? "He's coming for me," she continued softly. 

"Who baby?"

"Sandeman."


	36. Searching

Chapter Thirty-six

Searching

The couple sat quietly for a long time. Neither knew what to say. They'd just been informed that somehow, Max's past was coming back to haunt her. The man who, if DNA would be believed, if there were no more curveballs, was her father, was coming for her. And on top of that, he was supposed to be dead. Max felt helpless against the onslaught of things she didn't know. And Angel was right there with her. He could feel the fear emanating from her. This man had never been more than a distant mentor to her. Someone who'd been in the peripheral of her life. Why was he coming now? And more so, how?

Finally Max had enough of the chaotic thoughts spinning her mind out of control. She disengaged herself from Angel and stole from the bed. He watched her go, understanding her need to be alone. But he was mistaken. She wanted nothing more than to push everything that was threatening her life far from not only herself, but also both of them. She made a quick trip to the bathroom and after donning her nightshirt, returned to their bed. She shut off the lamp on the bedside stand and snuggled down into her lover's arms. He cradled her gently, giving and receiving comfort. 

When Max awoke the next morning, Angel was gone. At least from the bed. She heard him moving about the apartment. She glanced at the alarm clock, surprised to see that she'd slept so late. It was evident that her body was dealing with the pregnancy in a time-honored tradition of more sleep. But for her, eleven hours was ridiculous. Perhaps she'd been more susceptible to the emotional wear that last night provided. She'd been worried about dinner with Connor and Alyssa, no matter the calm front she provided for Angel. And then, seeing Buffy again, since their last meeting had been fraught with tension. And lastly Whistler's news. She was almost tempted to disregard what the demon had said. From the moment she'd seen him, her predatory senses were in overload. And that had lasted until he'd left.

It was a strange thing. She'd never had a problem with demons before, except those that attacked her. She actually remembered growling at the vampire that had attacked her so many months before. And that in itself was not odd. It was a tactic she'd employed before with some success. Some animals, particularly guard dogs, would generally back off from her once she'd physically proven herself the greater threat. Usually a growl and quick release of pheromones did it. So maybe it was natural to her to warn others off. But she'd never done so in a precipitous manner like last night. Maybe this was another weird pregnancy syndrome for her. Other women nested. She growled. It was enough to make her smile for a moment. 

Angel heard Max finally wake up. He was surprised that she'd slept so long. But he was determined to pamper her a little bit. He was going to prepare breakfast for her, but was unsure if she'd be up to eating. So he kept some water warm in the kettle, so he could prepare some tea that Giles had thoughtfully sent over It was supposed to be good for settling upset stomachs. When he first heard her, he prepared that and threw a package of crackers on a tray. 

It was little, but what she could handle right now. And he was at a loss what else to do for her. Whistler had been unable to provide any details. Just that Sandeman was somehow going to make his way to this dimension. They didn't know how, why or even when. But it would be accomplished. They didn't even know what his intentions were. At least for Angel and Max. Angel had a large suspicion that Whistler knew a lot more than he was letting on. But the damn rules in the game that the Powers played prevented him from enlarging on them. Some vague thoughts of finding the balance demon and pounding the information out of him flitted through Angel's subconscious. 

He let the thoughts go as he carried the tray to the bedroom. It was more important right now for him to support Max. In whatever she needed, he would be there for her. They needed to decide now how to proceed. Decide how they were going to react to this threat. It was strange that neither one of them dismissed the threat factor of this news. Why would Whistler have warned them if that were not true? So they gave it the attention it deserved. Angel nudged the door open and carried the tray to the bed. Max was awake, but still lying there, seemingly lost in thought. 

"Hey baby," he greeted softly. She looked up at him, then at the tray he carried. He set it next to her and she eyed it dubiously.

"What's this?"

"Tea and crackers," he shrugged. "Giles sent the tea. Chamomile something or other."

She grimaced. "Breakfast of champions," she scoffed. But it didn't stop her from taking and nibbling on a saltine. 

"If you want me to make you something else, just say so," Angel offered. Max sighed and scooted herself carefully up the bed, trying not to disturb the tea. She held her hand out to Angel. He dutifully sat as close as he could.

"Not right now, but thank you," she shook her head, twining her fingers through his. She continued to eat the proffered crackers, finding that it actually was calming her riotous stomach. She sighed heavily.

"What is it?" 

"I don't know," she shrugged. "You ever get the feeling that you've been thrown back in time to another dimension, forced to make a new life where things exist that only ever did before in books? And then top it off with being impregnated and then informed that someone's after you but you don't know which way they're coming from?" He couldn't stop the laugh that bubbled forth.

"No," he finally answered. "I can't say that I have." 

"Well I have," Max declared irritably. "And it's really throwing me off."

"How?" His hand was now lazily playing with her hair. She reached for the tea, which hadn't spilled yet. She blew on it before taking a cautious sip. It was actually good. Of course, Giles would never steer her wrong. Max mused on that before panic set in. She sat up, the tea finally splashing across her hand. "Oh damn it!" she exclaimed. Angel took the tea from her, setting it swiftly on the nightstand, then grabbing the edge of the comforter to clean her off. He checked her momentarily, but she didn't seem to have burned herself.

"It's okay Max," he soothed. "No burn. Are you okay?" She turned calculating eyes to him. 

"Giles," she said simply. 

"What about him?" Angel puzzled. 

"Is he really Giles?" She took a deep breath. "Or is it possible that he's…"

"Sandeman?" Angel's eyes widened. He hadn't even considered this possibility. "Damn! I hadn't seen him in so long. I wouldn't know how to tell." He pondered the idea a few minutes. 

"We need to find someone who can figure this out," Max decided. Suddenly it seemed imperative to do so. If she was right, the enemy could have been maneuvering her for longer than she wished to remember. "Who's close to him? Who would know?"

"Buffy," he answered monotonously. He grimaced then. "But I don't think we should call her. Past experience tells me that she'd be liable to fly off the handle when it comes to something happening to Giles."

"Okay, who else then?"

"Willow," Angel snapped his fingers. "She's known Giles as long as Buffy, plus she could probably figure out a magic spell to figure this out. Should I call her?"

"Yes please."

***** 

"And that's the whole of it," Angel finished up. Willow had agreed to come over, alone. She was so used to the cloak and dagger routine when dealing with Angel's world. That was not to say that she was unprepared. He'd warned her to say nothing to the others and she realized that this conversation would have something to do with one of her friends. She'd warned Angel that she couldn't promise that she would go behind their backs. He understood, but told her that when they explained, she'd see the need. Now, she sat on his sofa, gaping at both of them. "Willow?" He paused as she snapped her mouth shut. "What do you think?"

"Do I think Giles isn't really Giles and is actually Sandeman?" she pondered the question. "Honestly, given everything that's happened over the past eight years, I'm not ready to discount anything."

"I feel the same way," Angel grimaced. 

"Oh," Willow exclaimed nervously. "But when would it have happened? And- and I mean Giles knows stuff about us. And we know stuff about him. All we have to do is make sure that the information is accurate. That would prove it, wouldn't it?"

"In most cases I would say yeah," Max interjected softly. "But Sandeman created Manticore. They have techniques designed to pull memories from people. Any information Giles carries in his mind, they'd figure out a way to access."

"Well," Willow continued to ruminate, "what if we were to slip him a truth serum." Even after all this time, she was still hesitant to use her magic overmuch. It would forever be a temptation for her. "We could simply ask him if he's this Sandeman." Max was already shaking her head.

"Truth serums are a misnomer," she stated. "All they do is relax a person's inhibitions to the point where they don't care what they're saying."

"So people with intensive training can counteract the effects," Angel surmised. 

"That or ingest drugs," Max shrugged. She rubbed a hand over her forehead. "I really don't know how we're going to handle this. I mean, if he's really not Giles, then what is he waiting for? Why is he still reeling me in? What does he want?"

"I don't know baby," Angel sympathetically dropped a kiss on her head. "We'll figure it out."

"Yes Max," Willow added. "We'll keep working on a plan. We'll figure something out."

"Thanks Willow," she smiled tiredly at the redhead. "I'm going to go… I don't know. I just need to do something."

"Don't go far," Angel warned. He was already in protection mode. Something was threatening his mate and he would do everything in his power to prevent that. "Maybe Cordy can find something."

"Maybe. I'll see you later Willow."

"Bye."

The witch waited until she was sure that Max was gone. "Angel, I do have one idea."

"What is it?"

"Do you remember when Buffy could hear our thoughts?" He nodded. It hadn't worked on him, but the others all had troubles concealing their thoughts from her.

"I don't know about this Willow," he was hesitant for many reasons. "First of all, I have no idea where those types of demons are. Secondly, it nearly drove Buffy crazy. And then-!"

"That's not what I'm suggesting," she interrupted quickly. "When she first told us about it, Wesley made a very good point. He said that it was likely that whatever we were trying to keep from Buffy that would be at the forefront of our minds. I'm thinking that maybe there could be a spell that would let me hear Giles' thoughts."

"Go directly to the source, huh?"

"Yeah," she nodded. "If it's truly Giles, he'll have Giles thoughts. If it's Sandeman, he won't."

"That's a good plan," he complimented her. She glowed under the obvious praise, but then recalled the badness that her magic could be. "But I think I should be the one to hear his thoughts."

"Why?" a very indignant protest.

Angel chuckled. "Well, Willow, he's a man. Do you really think you could handle those thoughts?"

"Uh, hello Angel," Willow rolled her eyes. "Grown up here. Plus, still gay. I don't think it would bother me."

"Well, there's also the thing where it is quite an invasion of privacy. Are you ready to handle finding out secrets about Giles that you can never let him know you know?"

"Oh, hadn't thought about that. You know me and secrets."

"Still can't keep them?"

"Well, I'm better than I was. But this would be a forever kind of thing. Don't think I could go that long."

"Okay then, that's decided."

Willow rose from her perch. She grabbed her bag and walked to the door, Angel following behind. "I'll get started researching a spell. I'll let you know as soon as I find anything, okay?"

"Okay, thanks Willow." He opened the door for her. 

"You know, I really hope Giles is, well… Giles."

"So do I Willow. So do I."


	37. Invasion Of Privacy

Chapter Thirty-seven

Invasion Of Privacy

It ended up taking Willow the better part of a month before she'd managed to find and refine a spell to accomplish their goal. Max had a difficult time around Giles. Trying to pretend that nothing was remiss. She didn't want to possibly tip him off to their suspicions. And as the trio decided to keep this suspicion to themselves for the time being, none of the others were aware of their struggle to retain a façade of normalcy. 

Max was able to use her pregnancy as an excuse a few times before she believed he would realize something was up. But there were certain times that she had to go and defuse the situation. She discovered that Buffy had found out from Whistler all about Max and Angel's impending parenthood and was pestering Giles about it. It wasn't that she was upset about their having a child, to a certain extent. But more along the lines of 'when was it her turn'. To which Giles didn't have a clue. Yet it didn't keep her from asking. Finally Max suggested that Giles tell her to ask her boyfriend instead of him. Surely it was Spike's job, not his. Giles had sputtered, of course, but finally used that tactic and it seemed Buffy backed off. 

When Willow's call came, Angel was ready. An entire month of watching every dark shadow, wondering when the attack would come, worrying over Max, had the Vampire on edge. There was only one good thing going for them. Max was over her morning sickness. She had more energy, which relieved Angel to no end. For although he was unhappy with the thought of her being in danger, he knew she could fight if she had to. He just wanted to prevent that from becoming a possibility.

***** 

"That was strange," Willow commented as they made their way down to his apartment. The witch's insatiable curiosity was burning to know exactly what Angel had 'overheard'.

"Very strange," Angel mused. He let Willow in, following behind. He moved straight to the bedroom, wondering if Max had returned yet. He'd suggested, as casually as he could, that Cordy was feeling lonely and that perhaps Max should visit her. When she'd looked suspiciously at him, he informed her that Gunn and Wesley were going along to watch over her. He would have gone as well, but it was still daylight. Without protest, she'd gone. And she wasn't back yet. Angel debated calling Cordelia's. It was probably a good idea, to know exactly where Max was. He just had the feeling that she wouldn't react well to their course of action.

"So?" Willow smiled as she took a seat. "We know it was Giles. But what was Giles thinking about?"

"Max," he answered simply. For that was the bulk of his thoughts. Max, in relation to Jenny. Max, his daughter, or was she? How to handle that revelation? Max, in comparison to Buffy. That hadn't really surprised Angel. Everyone knew of the affection between Slayer and Watcher. He was mildly surprised to discover that Max hadn't been kidding when she said that Giles wanted to kill him a little. And it wasn't for the previous reasons as many as there were. All valid reasons. No, Giles was centered on the fact that Angel had the audacity of knocking up his little girl, and here the surprise, not offering to marry her. Angel wondered many times how he was going to deal with that one.

Honestly, did he want to sit Giles down and explain that he considered their lust filled night of sex an official mating? Or did he just want to placate the man with a wedding before the justice of the peace? Or maybe both? A sly smile crossed his face that had Willow wondering.

"What?" she demanded, smiling herself. If it made Angel smile, then it had to be something hilarious. 

"I don't think I should share," he grinned, then sobered. "Seriously Willow, we talked about this before. Did you really feel comfortable around Buffy when she knew your innermost thoughts?" The witch hung her head. 

"Not really," she admitted. She'd actually been more worried about where she would figure into her relationship with Oz if Buffy were able to understand him better than his own girlfriend. And she could see Angel's point. Although they'd done this out of necessity, that did not give her the right to assume she had a right to the knowledge Angel now kept. "Okay, well, I'm going to head out then." She let herself out as the phone rang. Angel hurried to pick up. Cordy was on the other end, informing him that Gunn and Wes were bringing Max home. Angel thanked her and hung the phone up. 

It was only minutes later as Max silently let herself into their apartment. Angel smiled in welcome, but she stalked by him. He mentally groaned. He should have known better. He should have known that all his scheming was for naught. Max would know. And by the looks of it, she wasn't happy at all. He trailed after her to the bedroom, were she was changing. 

"Max, baby," he began, but was cut short.

"Save it Angel," she growled. He winced. She wouldn't even look at him. 

"Look, I know you're mad-!"

"Damn straight!"

"I was doing it for you," he defended himself quickly. She dropped her glance to the jacket she'd just removed, then to him. 

"I know that," she replied softly. He stared at her. This was different. He was used to being yelled at when he had done wrong. Especially by women. She sighed. "Angel, do you even know precisely why I'm mad?"

"Because Willow and I invaded Giles' privacy by using a spell on him to hear his thoughts," he shrugged. Max tilted her head to the side.

"So that's what you were up to?" she mused. "I didn't know what exactly. Just knew something was off." Angel grinned a little. She didn't seem as angry now. "But that's not why I'm mad."

"Why are you mad then?"

She stared at him incredulously. "Do you really not see it?" she demanded. "What you did to me?"

Angel had a strong sense of déjà vu. He'd done to Max exactly what Buffy accused him of. He'd made a decision and didn't bother to talk to Max about it at all. He'd been too busy trying to protect her that he'd blown right by that part of their relationship. He said so and she nodded. 

"I have to tell you Angel, I've had this problem in the past," she admitted candidly. "I've had problems communicating things. For very obvious reasons. When you have to keep a secret, it becomes second nature to keep everything a secret. And I've been trying to tell you, not keep things from you now. But you haven't tried, from what I can see." Max abruptly shut her mouth. It was strange to her now that she was taking this stance. Before she'd always believed in a person's right to his or her own counsel. But after her experience with Logan, when he'd not considered her feelings on certain matters, she'd decided that she didn't like being on the receiving end of it. 

"I understand that," Angel conceded. "And I think I'm coming from a similar place that you are. I'd lived so long by myself, that sharing didn't come easily. Then assuming the role of leader, where I had to make decisions. I learned how to share information. But when someone I care deeply for, someone I love, is in trouble, I seem to fall back on the same old habits."

"So how do we fix this?" Max demanded. "This isn't a little bad habit that I'm blowing out of proportion. I don't care if you know I'm going to disagree. You still need to keep me informed."

"So basically you're saying that my actions don't matter?" Angel tried to clarify what he was hearing from her. "As long as I tell you what's going on, I can do whatever it is I need to?" Max blinked slowly.

"Yeah," she breathed softly. "I think that is what I'm saying. I respect your right to take action where you believe it's needed." She frowned a little. "But I think it only fair that you give me the same concession."

"You want me to just sit back and let you get yourself into potentially dangerous situations?" it was the first thing in his mind. 

"If I honestly believed it was the right course of action, yes," she offered seriously. "But I doubt it would come to that. I'm not going to sit you down and imperiously hand out mandates that my way is the only way. I do know how to listen. Believe it or not, I even know how to take orders when it really matters."

"Okay," Angel sighed. It would take some getting used to, but he knew the end result would be more than worth it. He'd had love with Buffy. But they'd lacked communication skills, vital for being together in life. A Vampire could not live on love alone. "Just one more question."

"What?"

"Can we get to the make-up sex now?"

"Oh hell yeah!"

***** 

After the incredibly enjoyable make-up sex, Angel had filled her in on most of the details of what had occurred with Giles. She was relieved to know that the Giles they all knew so well hadn't been hurt or replaced in any way. But she was feeling let down that she still didn't have an enemy to face and rid herself of. The days of wondering had left a mark on them. And she knew that it couldn't go on for too long. It added stress that they really didn't need. So they made the decision to let the others in on the problem. The more people they had working on it, the quicker they'd get their answers. 

Max resolved to talk to Giles in the morning. By her way of thinking, he was in just as much danger as she was. He was the most obvious weak link were she was concerned. Just because Sandeman hadn't done what she'd suspected, it was still a possibility. And there was no way that she was going to let any one person, her friends and what was rapidly becoming her family, be vulnerable. So as soon as she woke the next morning, she hurried off to Giles'.

He beamed as usual when he saw her. But her obviously worried look let him know that something was up immediately.

"What is it?" he demanded. "Is it Angel?"

"Angel? No," Max answered slowly. "Why would you think that?"

"Ah, you know that he came to see me yesterday? Him and Willow?"

"Yeah, but I didn't find out until after the fact," she informed him a little huffily. He nodded and led her to the sofa. She took a seat and waited for him to do so as well. 

"They were asking a lot of questions," Giles mentioned, waiting for her to explain. So she did. She launched into Whistler's visit, their concerns and Willow and Angel's plan.

"As much as I abhor their method," Giles was strangely calm; "I do understand why they did so. I would have done the same."

"So you're not angry with them?" Max asked quickly. 

"As a gut reaction, I am a little," he admitted slowly. "But I will get over it. This threat to you is more important than the sensitivity I may have over the issue of privacy."

They talked a little more about the implications of what had occurred. Max mused a little on how mature everybody was acting. It didn't seem like so long ago when all she had to worry about was her own self. And now there were so many more people and instead of the bickering back and forth she had expected, there was reason, listening and acceptance. She wondered briefly if she'd finally joined the dreaded world of the grown-up. With a smile, she knew she had. Physically, she'd come into responsibility at a very early age. But now she had the mentality to go with it.

She and Giles worked most of the morning, coming up with ideas to prevent Giles being used as a pawn when Sandeman did appear. Max suggested that she teach Giles some Manticore methods to survive interrogation. It sickened her just a little to learn that he'd already been trained by the Watcher's council and had in fact been forced to employ it during the course of his work. He didn't elaborate and she didn't ask. But it was another bond between them. As she made ready to leave, she impulsively hugged the older man, bringing the smile back to his face. 

"Would you do me a favor?" he asked shyly as he helped he with her jacket. 

"Sure thing," she grinned.

"Do be sure to tell Angel that I was serious," he instructed. "Dead serious."

"About what?"

"Believe me, he'll know."

"All right, will do. See you… dad."

"See you… daughter."


	38. The Labor

Chapter Thirty-eight

The Labor

Angel paced in the living room, worried about Max who was currently in the tub. She'd been having contractions for the past day. He'd taken her to the hospital once, but the doctor cheerfully informed them that she wasn't ready yet. Max had simply climbed off the table, gave him an 'I-told-you-so' look and went to change. So they'd returned home. They'd given her a mild sedative to take the edge off and she'd fallen asleep in the car. He'd carried her into the hotel, surprised to see their friends there. Clearly, they were disappointed that the baby hadn't come yet. Angel had to chuckle at that. If they were disappointed, it was nothing to compare to him. 

All these months had passed, and there was still no sign of Sandeman. Angel wondered at the validity of Whistler's warning, but told himself that just when he'd let his guard down, danger would arise. So the group kept their guard up. They'd employed the employees at Wolfram and Hart to keep their collective ear to the ground, looking for information, of which there seemed to be none. They protected Giles, who'd finally moved into the hotel. He didn't like being too close to Max, just in case he was the way the attack was going to come, but it made her happy. So he acquiesced. And they generally waited. And now one of the moments they'd been anticipating was upon them.

Max had slept until seven a.m., but the strengthening contractions woke her up. Her little moan of pain brought Angel to her side. He hovered over her all morning, but the contractions stayed exactly one hour apart, lasting for a few minutes only. Angel was frankly shocked that Max hadn't minded the hovering. She used the time for her last minute preparations for the baby and since he was close by, used him to do the majority of the hard work. She had him rearrange the nursery, help clean the bathroom, prepare a few casseroles to freeze and then bake more cookies. Angel smiled to himself as he thought of that. Max didn't like cookies while pregnant. But she did like to bake them. It was the one thing she could do well in the kitchen, in a related to cooking matter. Angel could think of all sorts of other things they enjoyed in the kitchen. They had enough cookies in the freezer to last a few months and so did the rest of their friends. He'd protested that they didn't need to make meals, but her logic was impeccable. Taking care of a new mother, baby and business would take a lot out of anyone, even a vampire, so it was nice to have things ready in advance. Plus it humored her and anything that made her happy, Angel wanted to do. 

She'd finally decided that she wanted a warm bath to soothe her aching back. Angel had called the doctor to check if that was allowed, which it was. Her water hadn't broken yet, but the doctor warned him not to let the bath water be too hot. So Max was relaxing and Angel was brooding. He was really wishing that Max would deliver at night. There was no way he could be there during the daytime. Max wasn't really looking forward to being at the hospital. But Angel had enough to worry about, so she didn't argue.

Finally Angel heard her call his name. He moved into the bathroom and smiled at the sweet, sexy picture she made. Her nude body was glistening from the warm water. Her stomach protruded above the waterline, gently rounded. It still amazed them both to see the flow of movement as the baby pressed out against various areas of its confinement. They'd declined to know the sex. But Angel was secretly hoping for a little girl. Max smiled up at him, even though he could see she was in some pain.

"You okay, sweetie?" he asked, kneeling beside the tub. 

"Contraction," she panted, trying to concentrate on her breathing. Angel glanced at his watch.

"Whoa, that's only twenty minutes since the last one," he noted, surprised at the sudden time jump. Max nodded, realizing that herself. He murmured to her until the contraction was over. "So can we go then?" Max shook her head.

"Not until my water breaks, or they're five minutes apart," she recalled the doctors instructions. Angel sighed. He was getting very antsy about this whole thing. 

"You're amazing you know," he smiled. "I imagine any other woman would be cursing me right now."

"You're deluding yourself," she teased. "I'm saving the good stuff for the hard part." She nudged the drain with her foot and the water began to slowly drain. "Help me up please?" Angel grabbed the towel she had left on the counter and moved it closer to her. He stood and leaned over the tub, grasping her shoulders. Together they got her ungainly self upright and he balanced her while she stepped out. He wrapped the towel snugly around her, receiving a smile and a tiny foot kick for his effort. Max smirked down at her stomach. 

"Always knows Daddy's touch," she sighed. It was the strangest thing. Except for rare occasions, the baby would cease kicking or punching if anyone other than Max, Angel or Giles touched her stomach. The babe kicked Cordelia once and the woman was over the moon about it, lording it over their other friends that the baby liked her best. Unfortunately then, Lorne had sang to the baby and earned a punch. 

Angel concentrated on drying Max off, then helping her slip on a maternity dress. He kissed the crook of her neck as the dress floated into place. He exited the bathroom to let her finish getting dressed. And it wasn't long before she emerged, a brush and comb in her hand. Angel took them from her and let her sink gratefully to the sofa. He combed her hair straight, then used the brush, just because she enjoyed the softness of his touch. That was quickly abandoned when she had another contraction and he rubbed her back to help ease the pain. He checked the time and saw that it was another twenty minutes. At least the intervals were getting closer. 

The phone rang and Angel was going to ignore it, but Max motioned for him to get it. He reluctantly rose and answered. It was Fred, asking for an update. Everyone was gathered at Cordelia's, waiting as much as the happy couple. Angel filled her in as he saw a strange expression come over Max's face. He watched her rise and return to the bathroom. He was a little alarmed and quickly made his excuses and set the phone down. He hurried to the bathroom door and tapped on it.

"Max, baby, is everything okay?"

"Just a second," she called back. Angel waited there until the door opened. Max wore a look of relief and Angel noted that she had changed. Her previous dress was lying on the floor. She grinned up at him. "My water broke." 

"Finally!" was all he could say. He made sure Max was comfortable by the door as he quickly called the doctor. He received the go ahead to take Max to the hospital. He then called Giles cell phone to let him know. Max had asked him to be there a few weeks ago. He'd agreed, then asked why. Max had laughed and explained that she needed someone to spell Angel. Giles had beamed. It was a very special moment for both of them. Once Giles had promised to meet them there, Angel hung up and noticed Max having another contraction. One glance at his watch told him it was happening faster now. He decided to have Giles call the others from the hospital. In a few steps, he was escorting her out to the car, her bag in hand. 

The drive was over quickly, during which he'd pulled over to coach her through another contraction. Since her water had broke, things were moving along at a fast clip. There'd only been ten minutes in between. Angel pulled into the underground parking, seeming calm, but was a bundle of nerves, excitement and trepidation. They made their way up to the labor and delivery wing where Giles met them. A nurse arrived quickly to lead them to their assigned room. She informed them that everything Max had asked for was ready. Angel glanced around to note that the usually cheesy curtains had been replaced by black out curtains and an extra cot was at the far wall. 

Max smiled through the pain at the look on his face. "I thought it best to be ready in case this went on too long." He just kissed her on the temple and said a quiet thank you. Giles beamed at them. The nurse led her into the room, producing a smock and shooed the men out so the little mother could change. Giles and Angel lounged in the hall, exchanging grins. 

"Good lord," Giles suddenly laughed. "I'm going to be a grandfather."

"You mean you just figured that out?" Angel teased. "Oh hey, I didn't call anyone else. Do you think you could?"

"Of course. I'll take care of it now and then let me know when you need me." He turned to head for the phones when they heard Max scream. Angel reacted instinctively. His mate was in pain. He burst into the room. Max was sitting straight up in the bed, one arm wrapped around her distended middle, the other gripping the metal rail of the bed. 

"Ow ow ow ow," she was chanting, her eyes screwed shut. Angel bounded to her side, ready to help however he could. She let go of the rail briefly to lock her fingers with his as she labored through the contraction. It wasn't until it was over that he noticed all the machinery around them. Max lay back, absently rubbing her stomach in small circles. Angel knew that just like a cat, she loved being petted and stroked. It made sense to him now that it was relaxing for her and the baby. He hesitantly joined in and Max smiled sleepily up at him. She always enjoyed having his hands on her. 

"What's all that stuff?" he asked the nurse, jerking his head towards the beeping machines. The woman finished writing on a chart, then answered. The first one she pointed out had readout coming from it.

"That one monitors contractions," she told him. She put her hand on the one next to it. "This one is monitoring the baby's heartbeat. Nice and strong." She smiled at them both. "Okay, I'm going to get the doctor so he can do an exam on you and then we'll know where we're at."

"I thought we were at the hospital," Max joked softly. The nurse laughed.

"Just so honey," the woman shook her head in amusement. She always preferred ladies with a sense of humor. It made labor easier for them. "We're going for the high tech approach nowadays. Be back in a few."

It didn't take long for the doctor to return. "Well, we finally made it, eh?" he teased, knowing Max was two days past her due date. He pulled on his examination gloves and the nurse who'd accompanied him moved a stool over for him to use. She moved to the head of the bed to introduce herself. 

"Hi, I'm Karen," she spoke softly. "I'll be your labor nurse. I'll be here with you as long as this takes." Angel barely paid attention as the woman continued to ramble. He wondered why she was talking to them now until he realized that her purpose was to distract Max from the uncomfortable exam the doctor was doing. It worked, until Max gave a sharp gasp. Another contraction had hit while the doctor was still checking her out. With a grin the doctor stood up and removed his gloves. 

"Sorry Max, I wasn't expecting you to accelerate then," her apologized. "I know it hurts, but it's necessary." The now placid Max nodded. "Okay, your water broke and drained well. You're fifty percent effaced and at seven centimeters dilation. You're doing great." The nurse took down the information. "I'm going to check on a couple other labors, but I'll be back. Have Karen page me if you need me." With that, Dr. Reid strolled out. Giles knocked on the door and Angel called him in. They introduced Karen and she busied herself in the bathroom to give the family some privacy. Angel updated Giles and the older man moved around the bed to take a seat on Max's other side. 

"What would you like me to do then?" he asked gently. Angel smiled; glad at how the baby had brought the two even closer. Max continued rubbing her stomach as the labor had moved around to her front finally. 

"If you want to stay, that would be great," she spoke softly, as if she were reserving her energy. She glanced up at Giles, then at Angel. "Could you get the book?" He knew immediately what book she had meant. Over the past few months, she'd written down a lot of the old stories that Ben used to tell them as children and the fairy tale that Tinga used to tell her son Case at bedtime. She'd had a lot of free time on her hands. And now that she was faced with the reality of her own child, she wanted to remember her siblings and honor them now that they were no longer with her. She looked at Giles. "Could you read to me, please. It'll help distract me."

"Of course," Giles was slightly choked up. He'd never thought to have this kind of fatherly pleasure, but it was now happening. "Anything for you Max."


	39. The Garden Of Eden

Chapter Thirty-nine

The Garden Of Eden

They said it was an easy labor, despite how long it had gone on. But Max had to disagree. It was difficult. The pain was excruciating. Naturally, she'd been taught at Manticore how to handle pain. But just because she knew that, didn't mean she had to like it. Voices floated around her as she hazily picked out a few words. Seems she'd beaten the record for shortest time pushing. Eighteen minutes. Was that really something to be proud of? All it meant was that she was eager to get this over with. She'd panicked a few times during the labor. But not for reasons any of them expected. Her father had seemed to understand. Somehow he knew that she was flashing back to her days in the hospital wing at Manticore. Especially when the doctor pulled out unfamiliar tools. 

He'd been a Godsend, politely asking questions in an easy manner. Max's nurse, Karen, explained everything in detail. She wasn't afraid to pull punches. And by doing so, Giles was helping Max get the information she needed so she had nothing to fear. And with relief, the doctor didn't have to use those instruments, even though she'd been ready to kick the hell out of him if she had to. Angel had done his part as well, distracting her during the tougher contractions with his soothing voice, strong hands and deep love. He kept reminding her that it was time to be excited, even if she was tired. He reminded her that this would pass and she'd have a reward at the end of it. It reminded her of what Lorne had told her. She had a gift to receive. And no matter what might happen down the road, she knew that this was it. 

When it was time to push, Giles had removed himself from the room. It was down to her, Angel, Karen and Dr. Reid. And though she cursed all three of them, she finally made it. The baby was out. Angel was making goofy faces, as he seemed torn between kissing her and kissing the baby. But the nurse held him back so that she and the doctor could do the initial check. Angel continued to croon to her about what a great job she did as the doctor pronounced their child perfectly healthy. Then Karen took the baby to a little bassinet in the corner to attach the baby's anklet and ensure that the identification matched that of mother and father. While she took care of that, Dr. Reid attended to Max, making sure that she was well also. 

By the time he'd finished, Max felt a strange numbness steal over her. The voices were disjointed and unimportant. All that mattered now was that she was done. She had completed this part of the journey. She lay back, breathing things in. Karen was filling out some information, time of birth, initial weight, that type of stuff that seemed important but wasn't to be worried over. The doctor was removing the outer smock he'd worn. Angel was hovering over Karen's shoulder, watching impatiently. Numb. That's all she was. 

She didn't pay attention to Karen returning to her bedside. Angel called her name until she looked up. Karen wanted to give her the baby. Slowly, she held her arms out instinctively, because she really had no idea how to hold something so small and fragile. Karen settled the baby in and moved back so that Angel could seat himself beside them on the bed. He wrapped one arm around Max, the other reaching to draw back the blanket the baby was wrapped in. Max watched his face; it was so full of excitement and love. She glanced down at their child, already asleep. So quiet, so calm, nothing of their ordeal evident. 

Until one tiny eye opened. Max gasped in shock. Brown. Then the other eye blinked lazily. Also brown. Of course, eyes matched. That was good. But it was Angel's eyes. Her eyes. Their eyes together in the child they'd created. Max felt flooded by a rush of love. Their child. And that's when the tears started. 

Angel looked on in dismay. He had no idea why she was crying. He glanced up when Karen chuckled. "Hormones," she offered quickly. "It's normal." He nodded and tightened his hold on Max. She was now peeling the blanket back, reaching for a tiny hand. Fingers unfurled, grasping, holding, tender in babyish strength and Max gasped again. Karen approached and gently rubbed Max's arms. "Bath time," she announced softly. "You too if you want." Max nodded hesitantly. 

"Go with them Angel," she asked quickly. "Please?" 

"Of course baby," he agreed. He too, didn't want their child alone with so many uncertain dangers already present in their lives. He followed Karen out and soon, another nurse appeared to help her to the shower. Once she ascertained that Max would be all right without assistance, she busied herself cleaning up the bed. 

Max returned, climbing in gingerly. Her muscles were still stretched and tender, even after the twenty minutes spent under exceedingly hot water. She did feel a little better for it, but knew she was in for another bout of being careful when she moved. There was a knock on the door and Giles peeked his head around to beam at her. 

"Can I come in?" he asked. She nodded and he moved straight to the bed. Max held out on tired hand and he grasped it eagerly. A familiar warm tingle ran through them both. It was one of Willow's innovations. Working off the mind-reading spell she'd worked on Giles and Angel, she'd tried this route. The spell, based on certain thoughts that Giles directed to Max when he thought of her, was transmitted through the tingle. If it wasn't there, it wasn't Giles. And the best part was that it was uniquely he. It couldn't be copied, because even Giles wasn't sure what the mix of thoughts were, because there were so many. She smiled as the warmth suffused her body. 

He took a seat beside the bed after helping her adjust the bed frame so that she was sitting up. "How do you feel?" he murmured. 

"Like I just gave birth," she answered mirthlessly. "Six pounds, seven ounces," she groaned. "That's a small watermelon."

"I was thinking more a good sized honeydew melon," Giles tilted his head to the side. "But ever so much sweeter."

"You've got that right," she sighed, content. There was only one thing missing, and strangely, she sensed it just outside her room. There was a polite knock and Max called her permission to enter. Karen was back but her arms were empty. But she hovered by the door and finally Angel entered, baby in his arms. He paused in the doorway, until he saw Max's nod, indicating that Giles was safe. And then he hurried to the bed.

"Hey Grandpa," he greeted teasingly. He gently lowered the still slumbering bundle into Max's waiting arms. And as soon as she felt the weight, she wanted to cry again. Everything was perfect. She pulled back the blanket so that her father could take a good look. 

"Dad," she whispered," meet-!" She glanced up at Angel, who was smiling beatifically down at them. He grabbed another stool and plunked down on it, as close as he could. They'd discussed names, but had never decided for sure. They were all nice, but they just couldn't decide.

"Eva," Angel supplied with a broad grin. Max felt her heart flip-flop. It was the one name she hadn't suggested, even though she wanted it desperately. And he understood. He'd never brought it up and the sudden current of togetherness flowing between them awed her.

"Eva," she confirmed softly. And then she did cry, complete at last. 

After Max finally composed herself and handed Eva to Giles so that he could croon over her as well, she asked about their friends. Giles informed them that he'd already called and they were on their way. As soon as visiting hours began later that afternoon. 

"Did you know," Giles spoke in low tones to his granddaughter, "that you were born at dawn? That's the perfect time for new beginnings. Yes it is." He continued on, murmuring nonsense as Angel and Max shared a bemused glance. Of course, all that news meant was that Angel was stuck in the hospital all day, but he could think of no better place to be. Max suggested he make use of the cot the hospital had provided but he declined. She'd then shuffled over gingerly, to make room for him on the bed. He climbed aboard, still too excited to sleep. Karen brought back the bassinet so the baby could room in, as the couple had requested. 

It was a beautifully endearing scene that Cordelia, Fred, Willow, Wes and Gunn found. Max and Angel, spooned together on the bed, both of their arms reaching to the bassinet on the far side. Giles, one arm slung protectively over the baby's bed, his head resting on his other arm propped up on the railing of Max's bed. All of them asleep. 

"Should we come back?" Fred whispered nervously. She didn't want to disturb the family. But Cordy shook her head. 

"I just want one peek at the baby," she replied softly. She tiptoed forward, but she should have known better. At the first click of her high-heeled shoe, three heads shot up. Bleary eyes tried to focus on the incoming noise. Max realized first who it was, but busied herself checking that Eva was still with them. Angel peered at the group, then up at the clock, surprised to see that it was precisely one o'clock. Visiting hours had started. He grinned. They had a very good reason for being here. He peeked over Max's shoulder, the gestured the group closer. 

"Dad," Max whispered. Giles turned his attention to her, trying to rub the sleep from his eyes. He encountered his glasses, which he seemed to have pushed up to rest on his head. He moved his arm out of the way so that Max could life Eva from her bed. The five guests circled the bed all waiting for their first glimpse of the miracle baby. And as one, they seemed to coo as Max pulled the blankets back.

"Everyone, this is Eva," Angel announced softly. More coos as the baby opened her mouth, a perfect little 'O'. 

"Can I hold her?" Cordelia demanded softly. Max nodded slowly. Now that she'd finally bonded with her daughter, she was a little hesitant to give her up. Even to her best friend. But she recognized what the easy to read Seer was thinking. This was her reward as well for a job well done in getting Angel and Max together. Giles offered up his seat, needing to stretch the kinks out of his back. Cordy took the seat, then the baby. After a few minutes, she received permission to pass her on to Fred and she on to Willow. The men declined the honor and Willow passed Eva back to Angel. 

"Lorne wanted to come," Wes finally spoke up, "but he didn't want to alarm anyone. So he sent these." He backtracked to the door, where they'd set their gifts. He pulled forth a bouquet of two dozen white roses and brought them to the new mother. Max breathed in the scent and then took the card as Wes set them on the sideboard by the blacked out windows. 

She read it over swiftly, smiling at the demon's thoughtfulness. Reading aloud made it even more sweet, "Happy Birthday to the newest little Angelcake. Love Lorne." The others had also retrieved their gifts. More flowers, balloons and cards. And Willow, with a little enthusiasm, also presented a charm for the baby's bassinet. Angel and Max accepted everything with good grace. It would have gone on, but Eva finally had enough of the attention and began to cry in soft, mewling tones. 

"Must be chow time," Gunn chuckled. 

"Then that's our cue to leave," Willow announced. She turned to the group. "Should we go get some lunch?" She'd included Giles in the offer. 

"Lunch does sound good," he admitted. But he didn't want to leave. 

"I hear this cafeteria does a mean wild mushroom soup," Fred grinned. Giles looked a little surprised at her sensitivity to his inward dilemma and agreed. He assured Max that he'd be back soon. Cordy waited for the others to go on ahead and approached Max once more. 

"You did super," she congratulated her friend. Max simply smiled and directed her attention to feeding Eva. 


	40. Two Weeks

Chapter Forty

Two Weeks

"Thanks Gunn," Max spoke softly as she held the door open to the hotel. She, Eva and Gunn had just returned from Eva's two-week check-up with the doctor. She'd tried to arrange an evening appointment, but Dr. Reid was unable to comply. So they'd made plans to have Gunn or Wes take the ladies in. 

"Anything for a lovely lady," Gunn smiled back, stepping through with the baby seat in his broad hands. Eva was still sleeping peacefully. "And you too Max," he teased. It didn't bother her at all. She was just as much under her daughter's spell as the others were. He carried the baby over to Cordy's desk while Max followed, carrying some last minute shopping bags. She set them beside the desk as Gunn pressed a quick kiss to the baby's forehead. Cordy's eyebrows raised and he chuckled nervously. "I admit it. I'm a sucker for a little pink bow," he referred to the decoration on Eva that Cordy had insisted on. She was after all, the self-appointed fashion queen for the group. With a last smile and wave, he hurried off to catch up with Wes. 

"Hey," Angel greeted as he pulled his office door open and caught sight of Max. "How was everything?" Before she could answer, he was already at the car seat, unbuckling his daughter. He lifted her out with gentle hands as Max watched, filled with motherly anxiety. Angel was used to this by now and didn't comment. He knew that Max knew he'd never let anything happen to Eva. But she worried anyway. As did he. 

"It was all good," she reported. "She's gaining weight. Her reflexes are normal. She didn't even cry." She dug into her jean pocket and pulled forth a card. "Dr. Reid also recommended a pediatric doctor that's taking on patients." Angel glanced at the card. "We'll see if Wes can check him out." Angel nodded, encouraging the protectiveness that they all felt. 

"Okay," he smiled down at his daughter. "Eva and I are going to go cuddle." 

"It's a good thing his arms don't go numb," Max chuckled to Cordy. They all knew that Angel was definitely a hands-on father. He relished each moment he spent with the little baby. He surprised all of them but Max, at how adept he was at changing diapers and soothing their little girl. But Max knew all about where his experience had come from, and appreciated it more than ever. She couldn't imagine the heartbreak of giving Eva up, but knew she would in a heartbeat if it was the best thing for her girl. 

"So, what did you buy?" Cordy asked, her hands already itching to search the bags. "And hey! Shopping without me? Some best friend." She sniffed mockingly, as if completely insulted. 

"Just a few necessities," Max replied airily. But she was just as excited about some of the purchases. She nodded and Cordy eagerly dipped into the bags. From the first, she drew forth a box and hid a frown. Not what she'd expected. 

"I figure it'll come in handy," was all Max said. Cordelia set it back in the bag and moved on to the next. 

"I guess that means babysitters are in the offing?" she teased hopefully. 

"Maybe down the road," Max agreed. "But for now, just to take the pressure off." Cordy nodded understandingly. After all, she was the only female present that came close to understanding Max's dilemma. But her focus was lost as she came to the next box. She peeked inside and her eyes lit up.

"So, I guess Dr. Reid had good news for you too?" she grinned devilishly. Max returned the grin. 

"He did," she confirmed, then glanced down at the box. "I was trying to decide between the black and the red and then this caught my eye."

"Angel's going to love it," Cordy enthused, slipping the box back into the bag. "You are so lucky to have your figure back already."

"Not quite," Max grimaced, rubbing at the small pooch left over in her abdomen. "But I'm working on it."

"Gonna get Angel to help?"

"Oh yeah!" Before she could comment further, a small cry was heard from the office. And while never loud, it was definitely demanding. And as usual, Max's body responded immediately and instinctively. She glanced down with a sigh. The physical evidence of a breastfeeding mother was prominently showing itself. "Damn!" she swore softly. "That's the second shirt today," she complained. "Breast pads my ass!" Cordy just giggled as Max hefted the diaper bag over her shoulder and left to tend to her daughter. 

Angel was just about to call her when she hurried into the office. He noticed her somewhat familiar wet tee shirt look and grinned. "Do you want to go downstairs?"

"No, I get sore if I even have to wait that long," she sighed. She plunked herself down in his large, comfortable chair and readied herself. Angel placed Eva in her arms and they settled into the now comfortable routine. Angel perched on his desk, unabashedly watching. He'd been hesitant at first about Max sharing this with him. But when she was comfortable with the new sensations, she'd pulled Angel to her side so he could cuddle them. And he took a strange pride in watching her and their daughter bonding this way. 

When the baby was done, Max handed her to her father to be burped, wincing a little as she did. She reached for the diaper bag and quickly withdrew a cloth for him to cover is shoulder with. But as she tossed it to him, she winced again.

"You okay?" Angel asked softly. 

"Mm-hmm," she answered, rubbing at the offended limb. She glanced up at him. "Oh, I decided to go with the shot instead of pills or the patch." Angel nodded. It was something Wes had brought up, as neither new parent gave it a moments thought. "Dr. Reid said it would be sore for a day or so. And stupid me, I went ahead and got it in the arm I use the most."

"I could massage it later," he smirked. She raised a brow at him, but said nothing to encourage him. 

"I'm going to go take a shower," she decided. "Can you check her diaper before you put her down?"

"Sure thing," he agreed quickly. "I'll get her all tucked in."

"And then you can tuck me in," she mumbled, covering a suddenly wide-mouthed yawn. Angel was immediately sympathetic. 

"Tired baby?" 

"A little," she plucked her wet shirt from her front, looking forward to cleaning the stickiness of her daughter's ministrations off her body. "I'll see you soon." She angled her face up for a kiss, which he gave. She planted a swift kiss on Eva's head as the baby nuzzled her father's neck. "See you baby girl."

Max hurried out the door, fairly snatching the bags that Cordy held out and dashed down the stairs. She only had about twenty minutes before she figured Eva would be burped, changed and finally asleep. So she had to hurry. Her first stop was the bathroom for a quick shower. She patted herself off hurriedly and put away some of the shopping. It needed to be handy but she figured the bathroom or bedroom was the best place for it. She didn't want to detract Angel's attention from her just yet though, so she left it under the cabinet. With the towel wrapped securely around her, she carried her other purchase to the bedroom. 

She had just finished drying fully as she heard Angel and Eva descending the stairs. He was trying to be quiet, she realized. A goofy grin spread over her face. Angel was always considerate of her. It made her feel pampered, but she shook it off. She was going to be doing the pampering soon. She pulled the outfit she'd purchased out of its box and slipped it on. She paused before the vanity table's mirror that Angel had procured for her and checked her appearance. She fluffed her hair, then grimaced as she pulled in her stomach as best she could. Not that Angel had ever made her feel bad about it. At least the nighty was loose there. She heard Angel softly murmuring to the baby and knew he'd be in their bedroom next. 

She hurried to pull the bed covers back in an inviting manner. She'd changed the simple cotton sheets to the black silk after he'd gone upstairs that morning. And then covered it with the forest green comforter. She fluffed up the pillows and reclined against them. She hesitated a little, unsure of herself for a moment. She'd never really done this before. Trying to be all come-hither. But with their enforced abstinence before and after Eva had been born, she wanted to do something a little special. And with the green light from the doctor, she didn't want to wait. 

A tension stretched through her as she waited for her lover to join her. She nearly growled in frustration as she heard his footsteps near, then falter and move away. She mentally reassured herself that he would come back. And after a few minutes, he did. The door swung open silently and Angel stepped through, a glazed look on his face. 

"Max?" he hesitated in the doorway. He didn't dare go any closer. He'd smelled her arousal the moment he'd entered their apartment. And as much as he wanted to run in and pounce on her, they had the baby to consider, plus the doctor's warning. Six weeks of waiting, no ifs, ands or buts. And Angel was nearly at the end of his tether. He didn't need her scent sending his already reeling senses into deep overdrive. 

"Angel," she answered teasingly. 

"I thought you were going to take a nap," he growled softly. She clambered slowly to her knees and moved to the edge of the bed, giving him an eyeful of the lacy white nightgown that he'd have sworn she'd never worn before. He swallowed hard, staring at the plunging neckline that dipped between her milk-swollen breasts. The delicate fabric cupped them gently, giving little support, letting them sway freely as she moved. The picture she made, light against the darkness of their bed was more enticing than he needed. He took a quick half-step forward, then forced himself to stop.

"I'm suddenly not so sleepy anymore," she purred, reaching for him. He let her, not stopping moving forward until his knees hit the bed. He inhaled sharply when he felt her tongue at his throat. He blinked rapidly, trying to control himself. 

"The d-doctor said s-six weeks," he managed to gasp out. 

"Dr. Reid fibbed," she chuckled. "That was just a guideline," she continued teasing him, trailing her tongue down his chest. As she unbuttoned his shirt, she nipped at his skin, reveling in the broad expanse of his chest. She pushed the shirt down off his arms to watch it flutter to the floor. "I'm all healed up, and he said whenever I was comfortable." She slowly undid his belt buckle. "And baby, I'm good to go," she stared coyly up at him as she pulled the belt loose. "As long as you're… gentle!" She punctuated her last word with a snap from the belt as it came loose from its mooring. 

He stared at her for a long moment, taking in what she'd said. Then he swept down on her, knocking them both back to the bed. Max managed to twist her legs, so as not to snap them at the kneecaps. She stretched her neck in pleasure as she felt his hands all over her, roaming freely as he nipped now at her throat. She was busy herself, undoing his pants and pushing them and his boxers insistently from his body, but stilled nervously as he pushed her hands away. "Angel?" His hands were clenched into fists his eyes screwed shut. He seemed to be chanting 'gentle', over and over. She understood immediately. It was too much. It had been too long for both of them and he wasn't sure he could do gently at this point. She took pity on him, offering the only thing she could to help relieve the tension. Angel opened his eyes, relaxing his fists, until a familiar sensation had him clenching them again. He lifted his head to watch his lover. He nearly howled as he came, but bit his lip, grunting as he recalled the sleeping infant in the next room. 

When he was finally still, Max released him and moved up her body, slinging a leg over his hips and laying atop him. "Good?" she asked softly. He grinned lazily up at her. 

"Amazing," he pulled her head down for a kiss, brushing softly against her swollen lips. They kissed gently for a few minutes as he recovered himself. When Max felt him begin to stir again, she pulled away. She braced herself with hands on either side of his shoulders. 

"Are we ready to play yet?" she giggled. He grinned up at her. 

"I'm game," he murmured, lighting thrusting up. He let Max set the pace, take control. He held back the predatory side of himself so that he wouldn't end up pushing before she was surely ready. But he needn't have worried. She meant what she said earlier, she wanted him more so than before. She gasped a little from the sensation, different now that she'd had a child. Angel caught her free hand, entwining his fingers about hers. "Okay sweetie?" he asked softly. She nodded, biting her lip. 

"Been a while," she panted as she forced herself to relax, she waited a moment. "Kind of like the first time," she admitted shyly, her head hanging, hair curtaining her face. With a tender look, Angel tightened his grip on her hand and caught her about the neck with the other. He pulled her down for a simple kiss on the forehead. 

"Born at dawn," he whispered huskily, "she's a fresh start for both of us, huh?" He kissed away the tears that seeped from her eyes. She brushed a kiss across his lips, then began to move experimentally. It was a different sensation than they were used to. Gentler, but somehow infinitely more fulfilling. She continued to rock gently until they finally came together, hands clasped, whispering words of love. 

Angel closed his arms about Max, rolling to his side as her eyes began to drift shut. "Love you," she murmured. 

"I love you too baby," he smiled. He was about to join her in slumber, but the suddenly insistent cry from next door caught his ears. He frowned. "That was a short nap," he grumbled good-naturedly. Max groaned and popped her eyes open. She glanced down at her chest. Just like clockwork. 

"Probably needs her diaper changed," she decided, listening to the tone of the cry. She glanced down again as she felt slightly chilled fingers tugging the bodice of her nightgown down. With a possessive grin, Angel swept his tongue across her right nipple, catching a droplet of milk before the fabric soaked it up. "Hey," Max giggled. "Not for you."

Angel waggled his eyebrows at her. "Eva will have to learn to share sometime. May as well be now." Max rolled her eyes and prepared to get up and attend their daughter. But Angel nudged her back down. "I'll get her. You sleep." She nodded. He pushed off of the bed, pausing only to grab a robe and then slipped out the door. 


	41. Anything For You

Chapter Forty-one

Anything For You

Angel returned to the apartment, absently rubbing his neck. After changing Eva's diaper, he'd returned to their bedroom to find Max sound asleep. He'd showered and returned to work, already calculating just when Max might be in the mood again. It was hard to keep his mind on the case file that Cordy had handed him. But no one seemed to mind. They were all basking in the happiness that Max, Angel and Eva were more than willing to spread around. After all, a happy boss was no longer a threat to their little family. So Angel wasn't quite sure what to expect when he was done shuffling papers. Cordy had had no visions for them to act upon. Gunn and Fred were chatting idly and Wes was immersed in whatever point of interest occurred to him about Eva's conception. 

What Angel really didn't expect was to find a harried Max trying to juggle a crying baby in one arm and pour something into a bottle with the other. She glanced up in relief and passed Eva to him. "What are you doing?" he asked, trying to keep the hint of exasperation out of his voice. It wasn't like Max to let Eva cry for too long when she was hungry. Max turned back to her task at the counter. 

"I bought a breast pump today," she explained, gesturing at the baby bottle. 

"I can see that," Angel nodded. "Why?" he asked a little louder, to be heard over the babies cries. He rubbed Eva's back, but it certainly wasn't calming her down. 

"Couple reasons," Max shrugged. She looked close to tears herself, listening to the baby. "One, I was getting tired of showing off my assets in a new and unusual way. Two, I thought you might like to feed her. And three," she paused and sighed. This was the toughest and most practical thing pushing her. And admitting it hurt. "Three, we still know nothing about Sandeman. I think we need to be prepared for every eventual possibility. And that includes being… separated from our child. Even if it's just to keep her safe." 

Angel softened visibly. He secured the baby against his chest, then wrapped his free arm around her waist and squeezed. She leaned into him for a moment, before screwing the nipple onto the bottle. She turned, and with a tremulous smile, handed the half-full eight-ounce bottle to him. "I love you," he whispered. "And we'll do everything we can to prevent that."

"Why don't you take her in the nursery," she suggested, running her hand down Eva's back. "She knows I'm here and she won't want the bottle if I'm nearby."

"Good idea." He hurried along, not wanting to make this tougher on any of them. He could see what the simple idea was doing to Max and Eva wasn't making it any better. So he settled himself comfortably in the rocking chair, shifting the baby in his arms. He smiled wistfully as he remembered doing this with Connor. But he pushed those thoughts away as he coaxed the baby into accepting the unnatural method of sustenance. It took them a while, but she finally seemed to get the hang of it, even though she tended to gum the bottle more than she normally would. Finally Angel relaxed enough to beginning talking to her. 

"That's right baby," he encouraged as she greedily sucked. "Not as good as Mommy, but it'll do." He pulled her up a little to kiss her forehead. "I really don't like having to do this. But your Mom did have a good point. I know she'd do anything for you. And so will I sweetheart." Without thought, he braced his feet and pushed gently, setting the rocking chair into motion. Once she was done, he pulled the bottle from her lips, noting with satisfaction that she'd managed to drink most of what Max had donated. He set the bottle on the convenient change table and pulled a cloth out to drape over his shoulder. With ease, he rearranged her again and settled into the next part of the routine. When he was satisfied that there were no more gas bubbles roaming her tummy, he settled her against his chest and kept rocking. It was their favorite position. He watched her eyes drifting shut as he continued to croon in her ear, just rambling.

"I think I finally get this whole being a parent thing," he mused out loud. "Didn't get much of a chance with Connor. He was here and gone and then here again. And I tried to be a good dad. But I just had no idea how. So I gave him up. But I don't want that to happen with us baby girl. Oh no. I'm going to be here, every single day. I'm going to be the kind of daddy every little girl dreams of. Because I love you so much more than I had ever thought possible. Just like I love Connor. And your Mom." His head fell back, the motion of the rocking chair lulling him deeper into his musings. 

"Your Mom would give up everything just to keep you safe," he continued. "I would too." He stroked a gentle finger down her downy soft cheek. Her lips twitched in response and he held back a joyous laugh. His little one had no expectations of him, but that would change. She'd want him to play with her, go out with her, take her to school, mend all her little hurts. Tears nearly came to his eyes as he realized once again that he wouldn't be able to be all the things he promised. Unless…

"I think this is it sweetheart," he mumbled. "I get it. All these years, with people saying my Shanshu was my redemption. But they were wrong. I found redemption in Mommy and you. And that Shanshu might just be one of the ways I get to enjoy it. And I promise you now Eva, I swear I will do everything in my power to become human again. Because there is no way I am going to miss out on your life. I will do anything for you and Mommy." He swept a kiss on top of her head and she continued to slumber through his vow. 

He slowed the motion of the rocking chair and carefully stood, intending to settle Eva into her crib. He smiled as he felt the warmth the little body was creating in the center of his chest. He had always forgotten how warm Connor had been. A smile tugged on his lips. He hadn't been this happy for so many years now. He nudged back the light sheet and leaned forward to set the baby down. He pulled up the sheet, tucking it around her expertly. But a frown soon replaced the lightheartedness he felt. Usually, once he'd pulled Eva away, he could feel the separation by the rapid cooling of his body. Only this time, it seemed to be spreading. He stumbled back a few steps, his mind racing. 

And then the pain hit. Burning him from the inside out. He gasped and panted against the inferno of sensations stabbing everywhere along his flesh. He tightened up every muscle, pushing against the onslaught. It took every ounce of his willpower. "Max!" he screamed. But it was all he could manage then.

Max had been repacking the diaper bag, contemplating Cordy's earlier teasing about babysitters. He knew her friend was hoping to get in a few hours of Eva spoiling very soon. And Max appreciated it, she really did, but she wasn't ready to be away from the baby yet. She dropped the bottle she was holding when Angel screamed her name. And just as quick, Eva's piercing shriek joined in. She whirled around, flying across the apartment, her heart pounding. Something was threatening her baby and mate. But slamming the door open, all she could see in the dimmed lamp light was Angel, in the center of the room, holding his stomach, seemingly in pain. Max drew in a deep breath of relief, when her senses picked up no intrusion in the room. 

"Angel? What is it?" she asked breathlessly, moving forward. He began to crumple to the floor, but she caught him and lowered him down. She was scared suddenly. Never having seen him like this. She glanced towards the crib, needing to check the baby. But after being startled from sleep, the baby's cries had lowered in volume, just not necessity. 

He gasped again, trying to warn her. "Run," he grunted through the searing in his chest. 

"Run?" she repeated, dumbfounded. Her mind raced. Was it the Sandeman? Doing something sinister to him? "What is it Angel? Who's doing this?" she demanded, her voice shriller than normal. 

"A-angelus," he groaned, collapsing on the floor completely. Max, stunned, scrambled back from him. While having no first hand knowledge of Angel's evil alter ego, she certainly had no wish to take him on. Especially with a baby in the room. Her head snapped around as she finally put it all together. He was trying to warn her that Angelus was somehow coming to the surface and she needed to protect their child. She jumped up to scoop the crying child from the crib. She ran from the room as if hellhounds were on her heels. She paused only to grab the car seat waiting by the front door, before getting the hell out of Dodge. 

Cordy was nearly done the filing she'd set herself to doing before heading home. She smiled over at the others. Giles had wandered down from his room and had joined Wes. All four of them were arguing theory and probabilities now. It all stemmed from Eva's birth and they all seemed to be enjoying the debate. She was about to suggest that they wrap it up though, when Max burst through the basement door. 

"Run!" she yelled. The others jumped to their feet awkwardly, glancing about for the new threat. She threw the car seat on the table before them and Gunn automatically reached out to steady it. Max lowered Eva into it and deftly strapped her in. She covered the still screaming baby with the blanket they kept with it. Giles reached for Max, grasping her elbow. Max noticed that the tingle was still there. One saving grace in this new battle. 

"What is it?" Giles demanded. "What's going on? Is it Sandeman? Where's Angel?" Max shook her head.

"Not Angel," she whimpered. "Angelus." The reaction was instantaneous. By themselves they would have taken a moment to ascertain things, possible gather weapons and attack head on. All in hopes to rescue their friend. But now there was a baby in the mix. Their first responsibility was to Eva. 

"Let's go!" Wes thundered grabbing Fred's arm. They hurried around the table. Cordy was already racing for the door as Gunn hauled the car seat as gently, but as quickly as possible. Giles tightened his grip on Max, but she refused to move. 

"Max, let's go," he ordered, but she was already shaking her head. 

"I'm the only one who has a chance," she explained swiftly. "If I can't stop him, I can at least slow him down." He stared at her, hating the idea, but understanding the reasons all the same. His heart broke a little. It was a sacrifice he'd have made himself, but he knew Max was right. And her next words cemented their decision. "Daddy, keep her safe. Please, she's all that matters." Her luminous eyes pleaded with him and he was nodding before he realized it. 

"Anything for you Max," he whispered. "Be careful," he admonished, hugging her quickly. "I love you."

I love you too," she cried, then pushed him away. "Go now!"

Max watched as her father raced out the door, hopping into the waiting vehicle. And then they were gone. She forced her breathing to slow. She reached deep within herself, needing to remain calm. Now was not the time to be Max. Within seconds X5-452 had emerged and was stalking her prey. 


	42. For Love Of Eva

Chapter Forty-two

For Love Of Eva

Silence, deafening, and telling. Senses pushed forward, wondering pulled back. Hunting, flashes of images. The scent of pine sharp in her nose. Adversary, enemy, lover, the same. Blood, death, a mother's love. An endless circle of love. Cut short, no time. Thrumming in her ears. Creeping forward, listening, calculating. Eyes sweeping, taking in, knowing nothing. Fear, anger, fulfillment. Destiny hers. Born to this, dead by this. 

One endless circle.

Max crept through the lobby of the Hyperion, her senses on full alert. She'd consciously employed every technique that Manticore had taught her. Time swept through her, bringing with it memories that she pushed away. The flashes of pain knew no purpose in the now. What mattered only was her love. The love of her daughter who must be saved at any cost to herself. 

So she listened. But there was no other sound but the rusty creaks of a settling building. The water heater in the basement below, groaning in its age. The whistle of the wind across the panes of glass about her. Possibly even the shuffling feet of mice, scampering in the walls, oblivious to any danger but a natural predator. 

She watched. Light pouring in, dust motes dancing. Shadow in corner, taunting, beckoning. Eyes dilating, sweeping, receiving no telling images but the corner. Looking above, attack possible. But not there. Fixing, closing in, the door leading down.

She scented. Familiar, knowing. Blood and decay. The sickly sweet scent tickling her nose daily. Turn head, back, then again. Dust, perfume, aftershave, baby powder, crumbled plaster, papyrus. Mind cataloging all. Flashes. Faces. Not him. 

Inside, the knowing she kept. With eyes wide open, she saw nothing. Words echoed. _'Angelus…run…love you…daddy please…Angelus…run…'_ No danger sensed. No threat was surrounding her. Pushed aside. Not reliable. 

So down she went. Creeping cautiously, no weapon in hand but herself. Proud in the strength and honor that would meet this threat head on. As she neared the apartment door, Max checked her surroundings again, in the same manner as before. And still there was nothing. Angelus, master of mind games was waiting for her. Waiting for her to make the first move. Planning for maximum pain. She pushed the dangling door inward, noting to herself that she'd torn it partially from the hinges in her earlier mad rush. Once inside, she went through the routine again, securing properly each step gained. She could not risk attack from behind. 

She secured each room, slowly, saving Eva's for last. She knew not the particulars of this enemy but for the pure evilness of it. Maximum damage, her mind played over again. She approached the nursery on silent feet, still reaching out. She shut down the love she felt for this Vampire. It would not call to him, because she knew it would become a weapon against her. She would not risk that. With a forcefully steady hand, she pushed the door open.

Max gaped at the macabre sight before her. Her mind wheeled in disgust. She stood there long moments, wondering why, how, why. Until she could no longer take it and turned to race from the room. As she hunched over the toilet, emptying ever last bit she could, she cried. She'd rather face Case's death again than contemplate what he'd left for her.

***** 

"'Ello!" Spike answered his telephone jovially. He and Buffy had just finished another marathon round of lovemaking and were lying together, sated. "Watcher? What… Giles, slow down!" he frowned as he listened to the older man yelling things that made no sense. He sat up straight as he caught one word to fear him with dread.

"What is it Spike?" Buffy mumbled sleepily. 

"Gotcha," Spike confirmed. "We're on our way." Buffy opened her eyes wide, catching the excitement pounding through her lover's body. Something was definitely up. He scrambled from the bed, snatching up his clothes and hers. "We gotta go pet." Buffy cocked her head, but obeyed. 

"What's going on?" she asked as she climbed from the bed to yank her jeans on. "What did Giles want." Spike paused after pulling his shirt over his head. With a heavy sigh, he pulled it all the way down and turned to her.

"I'm sorry luv," he mumbled. He hated to do this to her, knowing her as well as he did. "Angelus is back."

"What!" she shrieked. Automatically, she pulled on her own shirt, her mind racing to what could have happened. She should have known that something like this would happen. It just wasn't Angel's destiny to live a happy, normal life. Just like her. Max must have done something to make him delirious. _'Probably had sex with him right after she had the baby and told him she was pregnant again. Probably told him she'd give him dozens of babies.'_ She thought viciously as she yanked on the laces of her running shoes. And now it would be up to Buffy to save him, again. Or worse. 

The couple hurried from the room they shared in Willow and Kennedy's suite. Spike was calling for the redheaded witch, apprising her of the situation. She gaped at them. "B-but, that's not possible," she cried. "The curse…"

"Yeah, well Wills, it obviously didn't hold," Buffy snarled. "Just get your curse ready again. It's better than nothing. We'll call if we can to give you the go ahead." Spike threw to her the bag she used for her weapons, already full, his own over his shoulder. And together they ran from the room, leaving a protesting Willow behind them.

The silence on the drive over to the hotel was painful. Each dealt with their own thoughts about meeting Angelus again. Spike's heart actually ached for the old poofter. He had been moving on, had found someone new to love and had even been able to create a miracle child with this woman. He was surprised at the hitch in his chest when he thought of having to be the one to kill Angel, but he chose to ignore it. If he had to, he'd be the strong one. Anything to protect Buffy.

Buffy's mind whirled along a slightly different path. What ifs played in her mind. What if she'd chosen Angel instead of Spike? She knew the risks involved in their relationship and would have held herself back. What if Angel had listened to her back when she'd warned him about what Max could do? What if Max had never come here at all?

There was silence when they reached the hotel, as if everything in creation had stilled itself to hear the outcome of this battle. They crept through the hotel, mindful of every movement. Spike directed them down to the basement. The information Giles had passed on led them there. He noticed immediately the broken door. With an inaudible gulp, Buffy moved into the apartment. 

Max heard them come in, but couldn't move. She'd sat here for the last twenty minutes after she'd thrown up, completely numb. The couple moved around to face her, still keeping a watchful eye around them. She knew it was them, on some baser level, she had recognized them. Spike stared at her for a moment, before gently lifting her chin up to meet his eyes. He swore inwardly at the track of tears on her face. Something major had happened. 

"Max?" Buffy almost yelled to get her attention. "Where's Angelus?"

The tears started again. "Gone," she mumbled. "Was in the nursery…" Without another word, Buffy whirled around and headed for the baby's room. Spike seated himself on the coffee table before the other woman. Uncertainly, he rubbed at her arm with one hand, trying to soothe her. Buffy's shriek of rage and pain made the hairs on the back of his neck stand up on end. A virago had taken her place, flying from the room, straight at Max. Spike intercepted her quickly, using all his new Slayer strength to hold her back.

"What did you do!" Buffy shrieked through her tears. 

"Luv," Spike said in a low tone, "what happened?"

"He's gone Spike," she cried, still struggling. "He's dead. She staked him. There's nothing but a pile of…d-dust." She collapsed in his arms finally, crying for her lost love. Spike tamped down the anger and frustration and yes, even pains for Angel that her words brought. They needed comfort right now.

"I didn't," Max cried as well. 

"What do you mean?" Spike asked gently, quickly wiping a tear from his own eye, his other arm around Buffy.

"He felt it" Max sighed, trying to dry her tears. "He felt it and he told me to run. To get Eva and run. I got her out. But I came back. And he was already gone." Fresh tears started. Spike gaped at her stupidly, before moaning at her unspoken words. 

"Jus' like the damn bloody poofter," he sighed. "Kill 'imself to protect you."

"No!" Buffy yelled. "He would never! He would have waited for us to help! He would have waited!" she shrieked even as she realized the truth of Spike's words. It was exactly what Angel would have done. Something he'd always been prepared to do. Especially to save his own child. But she rallied again. "Willow could have cursed him."

"No, she couldn't," Spike denied. "You heard her pet, his soul was his own. This shouldn't have happened. He must have known." Buffy shook her head. She turned her glare to Max.

"This is all your fault!" she raged. Max gaped at her, mind racing. She paled as everything came together in sharp clarity. Without hesitation, she ran. 

***** 

He floated, in warmth and peace and love. It was no longer a foreign feeling to him. Max's love was like this. Eva's love was like this. And their love had opened a whole new world to him. He could give and readily accept what others offered, love. He knew no fear of it now. And that love had brought him here. He drifted in and out, never knowing anything but contentment. 

Light approached, brighter than the sun, and purer. Angel felt himself smile. It no longer burned him, but cradled him gently, as if he were the child. He sighed happily. Voices drifted to him, snatches of the words of the light.

_'…loved them well…'_

'…fulfilled his destiny…'

'…long and painful road…'

'… rest now warrior of light…'

'…earned this…'


	43. For Love Of Max

Chapter Forty-three

For Love of Max

The employees of Wolfram and Hart were startled to say the least when Max appeared among them. Many were able to discern that they needed to get the hell out of her way immediately. Unfortunately, Sarah, Angel's assigned secretary for the rare occasions he made an appearance at the office, was the one elected to approach her. Everyone held her in a strange awe. Max, of course, not Sarah. This woman appeared out of nowhere in their white chamber. She overpowered a master Vampire and slayer together. She'd jumped five floors and had survived. She'd then disappeared, and even with their vast resources, they could not find her. She was a stronger fighter than any they'd ever encountered before. She'd carried and delivered a Vampire's child, an unheard of feat. She was the daughter of a certain Watcher, which their files stated was not a possibility. A rumor that a demon was hunting her had started, but they kept their ears to the ground and were only able to discern the fact that most demons seemed to be scared of her and her Vampire lover as a team. She was a force to be reckoned with.

And they still knew that their file on her was incomplete. There was even rumblings about creating a new section devoted to discovering exactly who and what she was. If only they could sneak it past their employer. There'd be many researchers thrilled to step into that job. In short, they were itching to get their hands on her. But she never was an easy enough target. So the more crafty employees that had not yet been ferreted out were constantly waiting for their chance. And even they could see that they dared not mess with her as yet. A few wondered where Angel might be, as the pair was never apart in recent history. 

So Sarah approached, her heart in her throat, sweat leaking from near every pore in her body. "Um, Miss Gueverra?" she had to half-trot to keep up with Max's brisk pace. Max ignored her at first. "Miss Gueverra," Sarah persisted, "there's something I wanted to talk to you about."

"It's okay," Max grunted. "I already know."

"You do?" the surprise in the secretary's voice was evident. Max nodded. It had finally come together when Spike had made mention of Angel's soul. And seeing him before her, how he'd once been a Vampire and she'd been dead. They had both reappeared in the white chamber of Wolfram and Hart. She'd searched the baby's room with a practiced soldier's eye. There had been no wood furniture broken. And it didn't make sense that Angel would search out a stake, only to return to the nursery to dust himself. He would have done it the moment he'd had weapon in hand if that had been his intent. It only made sense that somehow; he'd come here. To the white chamber.

***** 

Spike and Buffy had raced after Max once their surprise had worn off. They'd seen her, speeding into downtown LA on her motorcycle. Somehow though, Buffy wasn't surprised that she'd stopped before the law office of Wolfram and Hart. 

"That bitch," she'd fumed as Spike pulled in behind the woman's bike. "I bet this was the plan all along. Wes told me that these lawyers have been trying to kill Angel for years. What do you want to bet that they brought her here for just that purpose?"

Spike said nothing, knowing it was useless to try and reason with her when she was like this. He was a little hesitant himself about the facts. It was possible that the lawyers were behind this. But if they were, then Max was an unwitting pawn, he believed. Her grief had been too real for her to do this deliberately. But he knew Buffy wouldn't want to see it that way. She was grieving an old love and needed someone to blame. Who better than the woman that had replaced her in Angel's affection? Once again, he had to tamp down the fears and frustrations that came with their relationship. Time enough to fall apart once they had their answers. 

So they entered the offices, trailing after Max. He had an inkling of where she'd gone, thinking much along the same lines Max had. Some things just hadn't added up. So he followed his instinct, uncharacteristically letting Buffy ramble without responding to her. 

The murmuring he caught as they moved past the dumbfounded employees supported his instinct. Without word to anyone, he led his lover to the elevators and pressed the button for the fifth floor. She followed, still mumbling under her breath, pausing every few minutes to wipe tears from her face. Spike simply stared straight-ahead, face not betraying emotions. When the elevator doors slid open, the same sight as below greeted them. Max had cut a wide swathe through the crowd. As one, they seemed to glance toward the newcomers in relief. They had no idea what was going on and hoped that Spike and Buffy would provide answers. Spike ignored them, centering his focus on Max. She was standing at the chamber door, her hands pressed against the cool material, shaking visibly. 

Max had finally shaken Sarah off and was before the chamber door that she vaguely remembered. Escape had been more important then. Who knew that she'd ever willingly come back to this place? But here she was now. She was trembling, felt sick to her stomach with the anticipation running through her. But she knew she couldn't wait. She pushed the handles down and the door clicked open.

Spike watched Max slip inside and smiled, just a little. Now he knew how the others must have felt when he'd miraculously reappeared in the chamber. Nothing had been left of him, but memory and soul. But through his sacrifice, he'd been remade, reborn. And now it was Angel's turn. He pulled Buffy forward, hating to intrude, but needing to see the reunion. If only to reinforce his belief that good things could happen to people like him, like Angel. But when he reached the monitor, he could only gape.

Max stepped into the room, letting the chamber door carry itself shut from its weight. She shivered, remembering the fear she'd felt when she'd first awoken. She could only hope that Angel hadn't felt the same way. Confusion maybe, that they could deal with. Her eyes swept over the room, trying to pinpoint exactly where she'd awakened. It was all eerily the same, the cavernous ceiling, and the evenly spaced columns. "Angel?" she called hesitantly. The sound echoed around her. There was no answer. She didn't panic yet. It was possible that he wasn't awake yet. So she moved forward. She searched every inch of the room, kept expecting to find him huddling behind the next pillar, or the next. But he wasn't there. When she reached the other side of the room, only to encounter solid wall, did she stop her search. He simply wasn't there. 

Spike and Buffy stared at the screens that were linked to the twenty-four hour feed from the chamber. Many showed only the brilliant white reflecting back the emptiness, but a few showed Max, searching. Moving from camera angle to camera angle. When she finally reached the end, they watched, their hearts breaking as she slumped against the wall, sliding as if in slow motion to the floor. They could hear the tinny reproduction of her mourning call over the electronic wiring. It spoke to them and for them. They watched helplessly as Max crumpled in on herself, wailing for the love she had lost. 

Two hours passed after Max had cried herself dry. Spike finally gathered the courage to face the reality. Angel wasn't coming back. He'd related in quiet tones what had happened to Giles over the phone. The Watcher in turn told the others. They all waited, but no miracle was forthcoming. It seemed that they had used up their quota. Spike had allowed that it was okay for them to return to the hotel, as in Max was in no shape to care for her daughter at the moment. Cordelia had mentioned that Max had made preparations for this and believed that she had left what thy needed at the apartment. So they had returned there to feed and care for the baby. They didn't want to, but they understood. This sacrifice Angel made was for his daughter. They needed to keep their focus on her and grieve later. 

Spike hung up from his last phone call and turned to Buffy. She was sitting numbly, Sarah's comforting arm around her. "Luv," he spoke, his throat thick with unshed emotion. "We need to get her out of here." Buffy, seeing Max clearly for the first time in her desperation, had finally admitted the truth. This woman loved Angel, there was no use denying it. She wouldn't degrade his memory by belittling the things he held dear. So she nodded her agreement and together, they entered the chamber. 

They crouched before Max, but she stared through them, her eyes unfocused and uncaring. Spike reached out to gently shake her shoulder. She didn't respond. With a hearty sigh, he reached for her hands. She didn't resist as he pulled her to her feet, but didn't help either. Once he'd made sure that her knees locked underneath her and she wouldn't fall back down, did he let go. She wavered slightly, but continued to stand. Spike took one arm, Buffy the other and they tried to pull her forward, out of the chamber. She did resist then. She came to enough to realize that they were trying to take her away from Angel. 

"No," she moaned, shaking her head. They stopped pulling. 

"Max," Spike whispered. "I know, pet. But he's not coming back." She cringed at his words. 

"It hurts," Buffy admitted. "I know how you feel, I do, but it's true. And you need to come with us now. You need to get Eva." She tried to play on her motherly instincts, but it wasn't working. Deep inside, Max knew that her father was caring for her child. She would be okay, never knowing this awful crushing grief threatening to push her into an abyss of monumental proportion. She shook her head again.

"Max," Spike tried again. "Angel died for Eva, because he loved her so much. Don't turn away from her now." Max stared up at him, cocking her head at an angle, as if trying to understand an alien language. Spike shuddered a little at his own harsh seeming tone. He didn't want to push the truth in her face like this, but knew it was better in the long run. It would hurt like hell, but she needed to accept the truth before she could heal. He saw her eyes glaze over and swore softly. They were already losing her. 

Max turned away from them; her mind focused on the words that she'd heard. Spike knew how much Angel loved them. The words echoed in her mind. Her mind expanded, similar to a few times before. She reached out with the sense that others did not seem to possess. Her simple knowing. Other words overlaid Spike's ringing words. She honed in on them, gasping at the intensity of the feeling carried with them.

_'He has loved them well and by doing so has fulfilled his destiny. It has been a long and painful road. I suggest you rest now warrior of light. The time will be soon when your new destiny awaits. Be at peace for now. Know that you have earned this second chance.'_

Her eyes filled with tears, overwhelming joy this time. "Angel!" she cried again. Spike and Buffy sighed, worried that she was slipping into an unhealthy state of denial already. But before they could move to forcibly take her from the chamber, a blinding light caught them unaware. Max's eyes lit up as she heard the breathy sigh of the preternatural voice, _'Shanshu.'_

And before them lay Angel, naked as the day he'd born, and now reborn. He moaned slightly, jolting them out of their stillness. Max shrieked as she threw herself at him. Spike and Buffy gasped, but Spike was quick to restrain her. This was Angel and Max's moment. Their greeting and declarations could come later. 

"Angel, oh God, Angel," Max cried into his chest. His arms came up automatically around her. 

"Max, baby?" he croaked. "Wha'sa matter?"

"Oh God," she cried, "you left me. Don't ever leave me."

"Never baby," he affirmed. They held each other, as he slowly became aware of his surroundings. "Max?" he finally grunted. She lifted her head, then scrambled to her knees, one hand still on his chest. "I need to breathe," he whispered. The joy that shone out of them both was radiating and multiplying.

"Yeah," she agreed breathlessly, "you do!"

"I need to breath!" he shouted, giddiness consuming him. Max's laughter gurgled out as his hand covered hers, both of them feeling the strong sure heartbeat, pulsing through his skin. Suddenly, something fell on his lower body and he glanced up, shock still written on his face. 

"Just thought I'd return the favor mate," Spike grinned idiotically, gesturing to the sweat pants that he'd quickly retrieved. He turned his back, engulfing Buffy in a strong embrace, sharing his pleasure with hers. Max helped Angel stumble to his feet as he shakily pulled on the clothing. He stared down at her, mesmerized by everything he saw in her. "So mate," Spike continued, unable to contain the joy and relief coursing through the room, "you're alive now. What are you going to do then?"

Angel continued to stare down at his chosen mate, the woman who'd borne his child. The woman he knew he loved beyond all time and reason. His hand reached for her and she moved forward. His head dipped down, searching for the connection that would feed his soul. He found it the moment before their lips met the spark that echoed back and forth between them. His lips met hers as his hands wrapped themselves around her body, pulling her in so hard he thought he might absorb her. 

Max held on just as tightly, her arms around his neck. She melted into him, reveling in his love. And in her love. After a few minutes, he pulled back and brushed the hair back from her face. His finger traced the track where her tears had dried, then leaned forward to press a simple kiss to her forehead. "I'm gonna marry you," was his answer.


	44. The Sandeman Returneth

Chapter Forty-four

The Sandeman Returneth

The days that followed Angel's resurrection were full of celebration. Max had called Giles to let him know that they were coming home. She'd contemplated surprising them, but after imagining their reaction to seeing Angel, possibly Angelus, decided against it. So she told her father the truth, that he'd finally Shanshued. Angel had looked strangely at her, never thinking that he'd actually told her that word. He shrugged it off, believing one of the others to have mentioned it. She in turn didn't mention the voices she'd heard. Not then. The time for deep conversations would come later. All they wanted to do at that moment was live. 

Angel had been eager to get back to their daughter, wanting to make up for the fright he'd given her. Max laughingly insisted that she'd probably forgotten why she'd been crying two minutes after she started. But just the thought of her daughter crying prompted the usual physical reaction. So they hurried home. Before they could even climb out of Spike's DeSoto, their friends and pseudo family was pouring out the doors. 

"I knew it!" Willow was shouting, jumping a little beside Kennedy. "I knew the curse wasn't broken." Gunn and Wes were babbling on about how good it was to see him. Fred simply stared in awe. But they fell silent when Max managed to herd them into the hotel. Giles stood there waiting, Cordelia beside him. Eva was nestled contentedly in his arms. A tear slipped down Angel's cheek as he took in the serene picture they made. Giles shuffled forward carefully, not wanting to wake the child. He stopped just before his daughter and her mate.

"Welcome home Angel," he spoke softly, a kind smile on his face. He held Eva out and Angel beamed as he took his daughter once more. 

"Thank you," he whispered. He kissed Eva's forehead. "I did it baby. I made a promise and I kept it. All for you and mommy." Max's lips trembled as she listened to him. She sidled up to him, although she'd never gotten very far away and wrapped her arms around his waist. Angel tilted his head to rest atop hers as they both watched their miracle sleep. Finally, someone clearing his or her throat caught their attention. It was Cordelia. But instead of the gloating, smug features they would have expected her to wear, there was sadness instead. And fear. "Cor, what is it?"

"I- I have a confession to make," she began slowly. She glanced away, then steeled herself. "I remember." Angel stared at her, confused. 

"What do you remember?" Max asked. There were myriad things she could be referring to.

"I never had amnesia," she admitted, biting her lip.

"But why?" Angel frowned. 

"It was necessary," she told him baldly. "After I ascended to the higher plain, I was watching over you. That much was true. And I was eventually given knowledge of what the Powers planned to have come to pass. I knew about Max's coming a few years ago."

"You knew?" Max was dumbfounded, as were the others. Cordy nodded.

"When I returned," she paled a little, "God this is hard. When I returned, I wasn't in control of my actions. I was here, but kind of… shunted off to one side. I knew everything that was happening, right up to my being pregnant. Things kind of get hazy for me then. And I'm so sorry," her voice cracked, "for everything you all went though. But it was necessary."

"Why Cordelia?" Wes implored. They'd been through hell these last few years. 

She quickly wiped her tears away. "It was partly a test, partly to secure your second destiny," she addressed Angel. "The Powers needed you two to be together. That's why I woke up when I did. Memories intact, my visions fully functional, just in time to intercept Max and work to bring you two together."

"Why did we need to be together?" Max asked softly, although she thought she already knew the answer. Cordelia reached out a trembling hand and stroked Eva's face.

"For her," she whispered. "For Eva. We're going to need her down the road." Angel looked ready to argue, but Max stilled him.

"She has some sort of destiny or prophecy to fulfill?" Max asked gently. It didn't seem to her to be such a burden anymore, seeing the reward she'd gotten in the end. 

"We all do," Cordy shrugged. "We all have to live in this world. 'Cause, you know, it's the small parts that make up the big machine." She looked about helplessly, finally lacking the words she needed to explain. Angel handed Eva to Max, then took hold of Cordelia's arms. She was full of trepidation.

"I get it," he affirmed with a smile. "Thank you." He pulled her into his arms, alternately patting then rubbing her back. He let her loose and Cordy smiled again, then glanced over her shoulder with a suspicious look on her face. 

"What was that for?" she demanded with a hint of her old self. 

"Just patting you on the back for a job well done," Angel smirked. 

"And about time too," she cried indignantly. The others laughed; glad to see the balance among them restored. Cordelia turned to Max. "Forgive me?"

"There's nothing to forgive," Max shrugged it off. "Hey, I lied, you lied, together we kicked that prophecy destiny thing in the ass. Girl power honey!" Cordy and Max's laughter gurgled together. And as easily as that, all was forgiven and forgotten. Except naturally for Wes, eager to dip into research and pick Cordelia's brains about certain matters.

"Well," Angel finally interrupted the silliness that was ensuing, "if you'll all excuse us for a moment, or two, I have another promise to keep." The women sighed as Angel swept Max and Eva into his arms and carried them into his office, shutting the door with his foot. Spike and Gunn just exchanged amused glances. 

Angel cradled Max in his arms as he lowered himself into his chair behind the desk. She nestled her head under his chin, silently watching their daughter. She sighed contentedly. "Can this day get any better?"

"I think it can," Angel replied softly. Max smiled. 

"From broody to optimist all in a few weeks," she teased. "Quite a change."

"A very welcome one," Angel grinned. 

"So what do you think would make all this better than it already is?" Max queried. Angel simply turned the chair a little so he could reach his desk drawer with his free hand. He pulled it open and fiddled for a moment before turning them back to their original position. 

"Say you'll marry me," he whispered in her ear. Max glanced down, her eyes going wide when she saw what he had secreted away. There, nestled in a simple black box was a vintage diamond engagement ring, set in platinum with a matching wedding band. She gaped slightly at it. "Max?" he prompted, slightly startled at the tear that slipped down her cheek. "Baby?"

"Oh Angel," she sniffled, still staring at the ring. "Oh God, I never got it until now."

"What's that baby?" he asked gently. 

"Why on earth two people would pledge their lives to each other in this mess we call life," she shook her head. "I always thought marriage was a cop-out. Two people declaring a promise that they had no way of knowing would hold up when faced with real life."

"And now?" he asked hesitantly. She smiled up at him brilliantly. 

"Now, I know it's a promise that I can and will keep."

"So that's a yes?"

"Yes Angel, yes."

***** 

Two weeks later, still basking in everything they did together, the couple made their way up to the lobby of the Hyperion, guests of honor at a lavish engagement party. Cordy had outdone herself in the planning and execution of it. Friends were all invited, glad for the chance to dress up and celebrate. Max was sparkling and Angel was overjoyed. It was a wonderful sight to see. Giles was nearly prancing around as he showed of his granddaughter. Eva was thriving under the attention, performing admirably well under the expectations they all had for her to coo and blow bubbles at them. Occasionally, Max would sneak her away for a private necessary moment, with Angel joining them each time. 

Max showed off her engagement ring eagerly. Laughing at and agreeing with various plans for bachelorette parties. And baby showers. Making plans for her dream wedding. Finally getting to be a normal woman for once, a dream she'd carried all her life. 

Angel was in a similar boat. Trying to fend off suggestions from Spike about the wedding night. Discouraging Gunn from more than one bachelor's party. Discussing honeymoon plans, and getting advice. When it was too much, he'd simply glance at his fiancée or daughter and know that it was all worth it. They still had a ways to go, but they would do it together. 

And as midnight rolled around, the champagne still flowing freely, Max returned from settling Eva into her portable crib in the office. She motioned to Cordy to get the hostess to tone things down, since the baby was sleeping. The woman had carefully tapped her glass with a fork, and the crowd turned to expectantly, waiting for her toast.

"To letting sleeping babies sleep," she announced, holding her glass up. There was general laughter, until she pointed a warning finger to the room in general; "I mean it! Don't think I don't." The laughter was quieter this time and they all drank. Conversation was softer after that. Max moved towards Angel, intending to drag him out to the dance floor. In all this time, they'd never had that promised dance. With a small smile for the group of people he was with, she took his hand and led him towards the area designated for dancing. 

"What are we doing?" Angel asked, bemused. But before she could answer, her entire body stiffened. "Max? What is it?"

"He's coming," she intoned softly. 

"Who baby?"

"Sandeman," she told him. She dropped his hand and moved towards the outer doors. Angel gaped at her, then quickly set his flute of champagne on the nearest table. 

"He's coming now?" he asked when he'd caught up to her. She nodded absentmindedly, her eyes slightly glazed over. "Eva," he hissed, their child his first priority.

"Is fine," she countered benignly. She'd reached the door. Before he could stop her, she'd pulled it open.

"Hello Max," a hauntingly familiar voice greeted her.

"Welcome," she replied and gestured the figure in. Angel gaped when an exact replica of Giles entered his hotel. He heard the shocked 'Good Lord' that their Giles uttered from behind him. 

"Nice to finally meet you in the flesh Angel," Sandeman smiled broadly, then glanced over Angel's shoulder. "And hello to you too Ripper."


	45. Endings

Chapter Forty-five

Endings

The party broke up quickly after the grand entrance of what some assumed was Mr. Giles' twin. Connor, who had work the next day, motioned for Alyssa to join him. He made a pointed, loud farewell to Max and Angel, then turned to Cordy and offered his excuses. Cordy, recovering quickly, thanked him for coming and stressed that she was looking forward to seeing them again later. The others not in the know took their cue and left as well. There was awkward silence within the group that remained.

As the door shut on the last couple out, Angel made quick work of locking it. They did not want to be interrupted. He glanced back, somewhat surprised to see Max standing easily by her old nemesis. The rest of the gang, Giles, Willow, Kennedy, Spike and Buffy were standing a distance away, looking on in confusion. Angel was confused as well. When first told of Sandeman's return, Max had reacted, as he would have expected. But now she seemed to believe there was no threat at all. 

"I suppose you have a lot of questions, my dear," Sandeman finally addressed Max. She smiled gently and shrugged her shoulders.

"Not really," she murmured, then swept a glance over the others. "But I think they might."

"Well then, by all means," Sandeman replied urbanely, "I shall do my best to answer them." Max led him towards one of the tables set up. Angel followed, snagging Max's elbow.

"Are you okay?" he whispered, baffled by her calmness. 

"He doesn't mean any harm," she offered, getting straight to the heart of the matter. Sandeman fixed her with an assessing gaze.

"You've finally figured that out, have you?" he demanded lightly. She nodded. 

"Figured what out?" Buffy demanded. Even though she'd let go of her obvious dislike of the other woman, she was still hesitant about the unknown mysteries she presented. 

"One of the things she was born to do," the newcomer shrugged, entirely aware that he was being cryptic. He couldn't see that the blonde had any reason to know unless Max wanted her to. 

"This is Buffy Summers, by the way," Max introduced. Sandeman nodded to her. Max continued, until she'd given him the names of everyone present. "And obviously, you are aware of Rupert Giles." Sandeman started a little at that name. "What?"

"It's been a while since I heard my name," he chuckled. 

"Your name?" Buffy gaped. Giles was strangely quiet, studying his counterpart intently. It didn't seem to bother Sandeman.

"Of course silly girl," he grunted. "I'm not some clone of your mentor here. I'm from an alternate dimension." He glanced at Willow slyly. "You'd think you'd be somewhat used to this in your line of profession."

"How do you know about that?" Spike demanded, instantly on the offensive.

"Perhaps it would b prudent to start at my beginning?" Sandeman offered. The group paused imperceptibly, before nodding and murmuring assents. "Capital! Of course, I was born in England, as Rupert Giles. I suspect, Ripper, that our young lives were very similar. I went through the same rebellion that you did against my fate of becoming a Watcher."

"There's a Watcher's council in your dimension?" Wes burst out.

"Yes," Sandeman confirmed. "But a major difference. Ours evolved in a different manner. Thanks to a much earlier Slayer, we were able to shut down the worst of the Hellmouths, simply through our Slayer wiping out some of the most powerful Vampire lines before they were able to propagate as fully as they did here. Which naturally cut down their population in comparison. There wasn't as much evil activity drawn to the Hellmouths and we were able to concentrate on closing them and removing the portals that evil creatures could use. Because of this, the Slayer line essentially died out, as it wasn't needed."

"What happened to the Watcher's council?" Wes was finding this fascinating and was searching for pen and paper in which to record this amazing history. Sandeman understandingly paused while the younger man searched out the required items. 

"We concentrated mostly on the demons that could still rip through the fabric between dimensions," he supplied. "Unfortunately, they realized that there was no Slayer, so we needed to come up with a new plan." He cleared his throat, realizing he was getting somewhat ahead of himself. "I wasn't a Watcher yet, but as my father was a member of the council, I was privy to certain information. It was then, that like Ripper, I began summoning demons. But unlike you, I researched a little more thoroughly before the ritual."

"So you didn't summon Eyghon?" Willow surmised with an apologetic glance to Giles. Giles in turn didn't really react. It was a long accepted fact that he hadn't been the most obedient teen

"No," Sandeman continued, removing his coat. "Mine was a more benevolent demon. He was more fixed on maintaining balance."

"Like Whistler?" Buffy piped up. Sandeman grinned as he began to roll up his shirtsleeve.

"That old bugger still flitting around?" he asked, amused. 

"Yes," Angel scoffed. "And still as annoying as ever. He's the one that told us you were coming."

"That little brat has his fingers in more pies than I care to imagine," Sandeman chuckled. "Anyhow, I communed with this demon in a dream state. He led me in the direction my life was to take and infused me with his being. I was marked, with the name Sandeman from the dream states, and this tattoo." Giles unconsciously rubbed at the arm that still bore the mark of Eyghon. The group breathlessly leaned forward to take it in. 

"Good Lord!" Wes exclaimed, suddenly pale. "That's the mark of…"

"Aberje, yes," Sandeman nodded. Wes slumped back in his chair as the others gazed at him. 

"Who's Aberje?" Kennedy asked, stumped as to what this had to do with anything. Even after all her time with Willow, she was fairly sketchy on some details.

"Aberje was the demon that wrote the Aberjian scrolls," Wes explained quietly. "In it they stated that a Vampire with a soul, after many apocalyptic battles, plagues, and various end of world situations, would Shanshu. Would become human." He cleared his throat. "Naturally we thought it referred to Angel. But when Spike, who had gained his soul was reborn, we started to wonder. But now, Angel, obviously…" he trailed off from stating the obvious. 

"Load of crap," Sandeman snorted. "Aberje wrote all that to throw you off. None of it had any real meaning but to push you all in the right direction. The battles didn't matter. Shanshu did."

"B-but," Wes sputtered, "I researched this thoroughly!"

"I'm sure you did," the older man clucked sympathetically. "But while Shanshu meant something in limited human understanding, it took on a meaning all of Aberje's own."

"What's that?" Willow asked quickly. 

"Love," Max answered for him. She knew it ever since the moment she'd heard the voice in the chamber. 

"Precisely!" Sandeman crowed looking very pleased with his creation. "Aberje was among many demons that argued with the Powers to allow this type of prophecy to occur. And the Powers, seeing a way to keep only the worthiest warriors alive to fight for them, allowed it. That's why Buffy, Spike, Max and Angel were all able to Shanshu."

"Me?" Buffy was slightly dumbfounded. "I didn't Shanshu," she snorted. "Willow brought me back."

"She was the vessel, yes," Sandeman agreed mildly. "But it was your sacrifice for your sister that made it possible for you to return. As was Spike's for you, Max's for Case and Angel's for Max and Eva. You loved completely, unselfishly, to the point where dying for someone was a reality. A sacrifice of that magnitude does not go unrewarded. But more than that, the sacrifice had to be based in love. Not for any other gain."

"It does make a certain sort of sense," Wes thoughtfully tapped at his cheek, while studying the pad of paper before him. "But one thing I'd like to know, is how you know our history so well?"

"If I may continue with my story?" The others nodded eagerly. "Once I'd been infused with Aberje, I knew that the Watcher's council would not accept me. So I began to plan other ways to deal with the demonic threat to our world. My initial thought was that we needed the Slayer back. But I was unable to access how the transformation was wrought." He ignored Buffy's little shudder. She knew, had witnessed it firsthand. Not the sort of thing she'd care to repeat. "My next thought, was that if we couldn't create this Slayer, we could create the next best thing."

"Manticore," Max breathed. She would have said more, but her sharp senses picked up Eva's cries. She excused herself and hurried off to her daughter, Angel close behind. He shut the door to his office as Max scooped up the baby. They began their routine feeding by rote. Angel knelt by his fiancée's side. 

"Are you okay baby?" he asked solicitously.

"Sort of," she replied quietly. "You know, on the one hand, I've always wondered why. And now that I'm hearing it, it just doesn't seem to matter. It won't change anything about me. I am who I am."

"You're not even curious as to what your destiny was supposed to be?" he asked, cautiously. He was a little bemused. He'd felt the same way when the scrolls had first been found and Wes worked to translate them. 

"I've already fulfilled my destiny," she teased. "I Shanshued. And I carry it in my heart every day." Angel smiled at her. 

"I do too baby, so much."

It didn't take long for Eva to finish. But instead of putting her back to bed, Max carried her out to the lobby. She took a seat, with Angel protectively close by. Sandeman leaned over and Max turned the baby so he could see. 

"Hmm, cute," was his only remark. 

"Would you like to hold her?" Max asked politely. She watched his reaction carefully.

"Maybe later," he shrugged. She hissed suddenly, startling them all.

"I should have known," she muttered, glancing between Giles and his doppelganger. The others looked to her, expectant. "Nothing, doesn't matter."

"My star pupil," Sandeman beamed. "Where were we? Ah, yes, Manticore. I conceived of a way to create the perfect soldier. One with the strength needed to fight back the darkness. Imbued in them were all the attributes of the Slayer. At least the later children were."

"What about the earlier?" Wes asked. Sandeman shook his head sadly.

"In my infinite wisdom," he began mockingly, "I believed that by donating my own DNA, infused with the demon, I would obtain the perfect results. But in the end, they were simply…"

"Nomlies," Max supplied, shuddering at the memory of the maniacs in the basement of the government base.

"Yes," Sandeman sighed. "Nomlies." He cleared his throat again. "So I knew that I needed to look elsewhere. I began searching out perfect specimens to create the children, splicing DNA with animals to create a hybrid that would garner the results I was looking for."

"That's what you did to Max?" Spike asked, a little choked up, thinking back on the parts of her life that she'd related to him.

"Max is a whole other story," the older man smiled fondly. "I fell in love, but the woman died. I wanted to recreate her, but I knew I could not father her. So I began to look for the Giles that was strong enough to do it." He glanced at Ripper. "I traveled through many dimensions before I found the one." He stared directly at Ripper.

"Me?" Giles gaped. "But how? I think I would remember…"

"It was after Buffy's sacrifice," he jerked one finger in her direction. "You were quite broken up about it. Very drunk most of the time, as I recall." Giles reddened. "Did you know, old boy, that in all the dimensions I visited, you were the only Watcher of us that had an active Slayer?" Giles brightened a little, as if honored somehow. "I won't go into details," he paused, smiling at the many fevered 'thank you's' he heard, "but I was able to claim your DNA while you were unconscious." He squirmed a little at the apparent memory. "I had watched you all for a very long time. The reason I chose you was because of the capacity for love that I saw in you. I knew even then that you would utterly and completely accept Max, no matter where she came from. We Ruperts as a group, have the tendency to be quite introverted." He smiled as Max and Giles beamed at each other. The bond they'd formed with each other was cemented. 

"Wait," Willow broke in, "that doesn't make sense. Buffy died after Max was born. I don't get-!"

"Time means little when you have the Powers fueling your trip! Well, to make a long story short, I achieved the perfect army, for the most part," he grinned. "And once Max set them free, I knew it wouldn't be long before they moved on towards their destinies. That was quite the impassioned little speech you gave them." He spoke directly to Max. She blushed as she recalled the standing up to be 'counted as a freak and proud of it' speech she'd given. But was glad to know that things were as they should have been. Even though they'd lost so many on the way. "Well, that's it. You're where you're supposed to be, Eva was born, just like she was supposed to. Everything all wrapped up with a pretty little bow."

"I just have one question left for you," Giles spoke to his doppelganger. Sandman nodded. "Who was Max's mother?" It was the one burning question that Max had been unable to answer. To his surprise, he saw the other man's eye tear up. It only increased his suspicion. "W-was it…Jenny?"

Sandeman tilted his head back, trying to blink away the tears. "I'm sorry, Ripper," he spoke softly, "but no, Jenny wasn't her mother."

Giles sank slowly down to the chair behind him. He'd been so sure, every time he looked into the girl's eyes and saw her wide smile. The loss of that hoped for connection hit him all at once. Max, understanding, handed Eva to Angel and sank to her knees beside him. As he leaned forward, his face in his hands, she wrapped her arms around him. They stayed that way, for many minutes. 

Sandeman leaned forward. "You see Ripper, I loved Yanna too." Giles and Max's heads both shot up at his words. "In our world," Sandeman continued, gesturing to himself and Max, "Yanna defied her Gypsy family. She ran away from them. I found her on the streets and took her in, helped hide her from her family. I grew to love her, but she was still young, so I hid it from her. In time, she met some of my…associates and she fell in love with one of them. They married. I even gave her away at her wedding. It was one of the worst days of my life." He glanced away. "And the best. I just wanted her to be happy. And she was." He turned back to them. "She and her husband were very happy. Until one of her husband's enemies murdered her. We were all devastated."

Max stared at him in disbelief. Things were starting to come together in her mind. Remembered conversations with so many people filtered through her subconscious as answers finally played out. Sandeman continued speaking. "Her husband was obsessed with finding her killer, but I on the other hand, became obsessed with getting her back. I found another young Gypsy girl, though not of the same family. She was wonderful, so much like Yanna. The same spirit, beauty, zest for life. It was all there. She agreed to be the surrogate, so that I could have a child to love. But I sent her to Manticore. I didn't want just another child. I wanted Yanna and I wanted a Slayer. And once Zara was pregnant, the scientists made sure that I got my wish. And Max was born, with no junk DNA. Purity itself."

Max stared up at the man, wanting to hear her thoughts confirmed. "Yanna, she changed her name, right?" Sandeman nodded. "She changed it to Maria, didn't she?" Another nod. "It all makes sense. Why I was your favorite and his." Another nod, almost imperceptible. Max grit her teeth together; remembering all the manipulation caused in her life by those that claimed to love her. It wasn't true love; she'd known that all along. But it was the past; she'd let this go too.

"What is it Max?" Angel demanded softly, trying not to wake the sleeping baby in his arms. She stood slowly and faced him.

"Yanna was Maria Lydecker. Colonel Lydecker's wife" The group sat silently, absorbing everything they'd learned. Finally, Sandeman slapped a hand across his thigh. He stood.

"Well, I think I've stayed long enough. Giles, try and take good care of them." The other man nodded. "Time I got back to my world, check up on a few things." He turned to leave, but then paused as if suddenly remembering something. He turned back to Max as he dug his hand into his coat pocket. "I almost forgot. Can't come to an engagement party without a gift now, can I?" He pulled out a slim package and handed it to the young woman. She stared down at it suspiciously. 

"What is it?" Cordy asked with a wide smile. She had her suspicions, knowing as much as she did. 

"Proper identification," he chuckled. "Can't get married without it." He reached out hesitantly to Max, who surprising many of them, she included, slipped into his embrace. He hugged her tightly. "Be well Max." And then he was gone, unlocking the doors, into the endless dark of night. 

"How on earth did he do that?" Willow demanded. "The identification, I mean?"

"Like he said Willow," Wes spoke up; "time has no meaning for him. He must have gone back to the proper time and laid this groundwork."

"I suppose," she nodded. Then brightened. She turned to the couple of the evening. "So what do they say?" They clambered around Max as she tore open the envelope.

"Mmm," she giggled as she read the first sheet. "Looks like I'm marrying an Irish immigrant by the name of Liam Thomas O'Connor." Angel grinned back at her and dropped a quick, chaste kiss on her lips.

"A good, solid name," he commented. "And who am I marrying?"

"Oh," Max smiled as she rifled through to the next page. "Here's Eva's. And here's mine." She stared at the paper for a moment, mouth agape. "Ooh, I'm gonna kill him!"

Stay tuned for the sequel, "Essence Of The Heart"


End file.
